The Little Pup That Could - Book 2: The Strength of Friendship
by kristelrose
Summary: The PAW Patrol's adventures with their new friend Amber are not over. Will they be able to rescue Amber and Marshall from the mysterious pupnappers before anything bad happens? Will Amber ever get to find a new home? Will the pups and Ryder be the same after their experience with Amber? (I don't own PAW Patrol) (Done in collaboration with the author Star Holder Commander)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: When it Rains**

Although it was only about half an hour after sunset, the sky was cloaked in darkness. The rainfall was so immense that not even the streetlights were aid enough to travel on the slippery roads. The only things that could be seen were the pounding raindrops and the threatening flashes of lightning.

By this point, the Air Patroller had been grounded in a small field behind the Cape Catfish Elementary School. Ryder and the PAW Patrol had stretched their luck to the very last minute before finally finding a safe place to land. With this much rain, there was no way Chase or any of the pups could pick up a scent. And, it was definitely too dangerous to continue searching by jetpack let alone spy drone. _Now what?_ Thought Ryder as he and the pups sat in a tense silence while the rain hammered the outer shell of the aircraft, their only shelter. In a flash, they had lost a member of their team and a very good friend. The little evidence they had to their disappearance pointed only to an act of pupnapping. Who knew where the pups were taken and by whom they were taken?

"Why does this kind of thing always happen when it's raining out?" muttered Rubble, breaking the wordless streak that had been taking place. Everyone was just so surprised and troubled about what had just occurred that each didn't have the capacity to express themselves. Only moments before, the pups had spent a wonderful time at the beach and had been enjoying the sunset together with their friend Amber's family and neighbors. Now Amber and Marshall were gone and they were stuck in a mini jet with state of the art equipment and seemingly no way of using it.

"Yeah, I guess it kind of happens that way, huh?" Ryder said after pondering over Rubble's comment. Everyone gave a gasp as another heart-stopping crash of thunder shook the Air Patroller.

"You'd have to be crazy to be out in this storm," Chase said getting ahold of his bearings again.

"You've got that right," agreed Rocky who, despite his fear of getting wet, had stayed out as long as all the other pups searching for their friends. He was still trying to dry the water from his fur.

"Yeah… Wait a minute… That's exactly right!" Ryder exclaimed receiving confused looks from everyone.

"What do you mean, Ryder, Sir?" asked Chase.

"Well, we can almost be sure that whoever has Marshall and Amber isn't out on the streets anymore. They must have gone somewhere to take cover. So, from the time I spoke to Marshall to the time we had to land the Air Patroller doesn't give their pupnapper much of a chance to get very far…" said Ryder putting his mind to work.

"So, we know they'wre close by, then. Wright Wryder?" Zuma added, catching on to what Ryder was saying.

"Right," he replied.

"But, how does that help us find them?" asked Skye not sure how far this line of thinking was going to take them.

"Well… the storm not only stopped them from getting far. It also kept some people from going anywhere at all. It did catch us by surprise by getting here earlier than we expected, but I'm sure, that just like us, whoever was out, or thinking of going out for that matter, made sure to clear the streets before it hit…" Ryder continued to think aloud.

"Yeah? And? Keep going Ryder," urged Everest anxious to see where he was going with this.

"And… although there aren't any security cameras near the beach parking lot, there are bound to be some by the shops… They must have caught any moving thing that passed by from the time I checked in with the pups to the time we arrived to find them missing… And, because not many people were out at that time anymore, that definitely will narrow our possible suspects."

"All we have to do is get a hold of the surveillance videos and see who comes up. Then, as soon as the rain slows down, we can go out and search!" Chase concluded determinedly.

"Exactly," Ryder said with mirrored determination. "Now, the only thing is that Cape Catfish isn't like Adventure Bay. They have an actual, human run police force. So, they might suggest they take over the search and we stay out of it."

"But, we have to help," insisted Skye. "They're our friends."

"I know, but they aren't used to have a kid and pups do this kind of work like the people in Adventure Bay are. They might have heard of us, but we have to be understanding and step aside if they feel it might be too dangerous," Ryder tried to explain.

"But, Ryder, what happened to 'no job is too big, no pup is too small?'" implored Rocky.

Ryder was silent for a moment, his contemplation only interrupted by another boom of thunder. "I know that we believe that pups, but they might not. We just have to call and see what happens from there." Although the pups were still under the assumption that there was still a chance for them to help search for Amber and Marshall, Ryder wasn't too sure anymore. He pulled out his pup to call the police department. His spirits already at unease, Ryder flinched as thunder boomed once more.

* * *

Shuttering to that same booming thunder, Amber sat stiff as a board inside the small crate in the trunk of the pupnapper's car. She couldn't see him, but Marshall still lay lifeless in a crumpled heap adjacent to the crate. Amber could only hear his slow breathing and her own small tense breaths. The sound of raindrops had stopped clanging on the car and so had the roar of the engine ceased. She knew that it was still storming, though, because the torrent could still be heard somewhere in the distance only muffled. She desperately wished the thunder could be muffled too. Although she couldn't find it in herself to move a muscle, her body still trembled like a leaf, probably much like many of the leaves that were being jostled by the harsh wind. Any moment, the two men who had trapped them in that trunk would come and take them out. Amber did not want to think about what they would do next.

"Mmm…" Marshall moaned rolled his body over a little so that he faced Amber's direction. Amber gave a gasp. Marshall's bright blue eyes widened in the dark as he yelled out, "Amber!"

"I-I'm here Marshall," she answered letting relief that he was alive over power the terror she was feeling.

"Ow… W-what happened?... Did they get us?..." he asked in a pain-stricken voice while he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah… We're in the trunk of their car right now. We've been parked for a little while-" Suddenly the hatch of the trunk unlatched startling both Amber and Marshall who was still recovering from his stupor.

"Hurry up and put the collar and leash on the Dalmatian," Demanded one voice. Amber guessed it was the voice of the man who had first confronted them at the beach. Not much could be seen. There was only a dim light coming from above somewhere showing only the two ominous silhouettes of the men. The sound of water could be heard a short distance away as if they were only under some sort of large covering that did not shield out the rain completely. Before anything else could be known, Marshall was leashed and carried out of the car. Amber felt so helpless. Marshall struggled and managed to wriggle his way out of the man's arms, but this only managed to get him dragged away by the leash.

"And now you, little pup," the same man said to Amber in a semisweet tone as he lifted the crate out of the trunk. He made sure to lock the car before following the other man, crate in arm. Marshall stopped resisting, seeing that he was not stronger than the man on the other end of his leash. Instead, he glanced around to learn more about where they were. He managed to notice that they were on the second floor of a pretty full parking garage, but that was all he could figure out before their two captors entered a nearby elevator with Amber and himself. By the looks of it, wherever they were was a newer place, a thought that was soon confirmed when the elevator let them out on the fifth floor.

The hallway they came out on was carpeted and fancy lamps hung on the walls along the length of the passage. The doors were made of a dark wood and the carpet was designed with different shades of blue, brown, and gold. The air smelled clean with a hint of that wood smell that Marshall thought Rubble would have liked. Amber had been as brave as she could thus far, but at this point, she could no longer hold back her whimpers.

"I'll be having no noise out of you," said the man carrying her crate in a harsh whisper. With that command, he shook the cage a bit. This hushed Amber immediately. Marshall, who was about to say something was quickly quieted by a stern look from the same man.

At the end of the hall, the men finally stopped in front of the door with a large golden number 524 nailed to it. The man holding Marshall's leash pulled out a key and unlocked the door. Once inside he flipped on the lights and quickly shut the door behind the man with Amber's crate.

They looked to be in a moderately sized apartment. To the right of the door was an entrance to a kitchen, and from what Marshall could see, all the appliances were shiny and new. They walked passed the kitchen into an open dining room that was connected to the living room. Just like everything else, the furniture was in very good condition. The apartment was nearly spotless, a very odd place for two thieves to be living in. Only a couple of pictures hung on the cream-colored walls. Both were quite large, with one being of a magnificent waterfall amongst rocky ridges and vivid green trees, and the other was of glorious sunset behind deep purple mountains.

"Well done pups. You've managed to keep yourselves on our good side for now," said the tall man who had put Amber's crate down in the middle of the living room floor. "Let's hope we keep it that way, hmm?"

"W-what are you going t-to do with us?" quivered Marshall.

"Like I said, you're going to help me with something," the man said leaning toward Marshall with his hands on his knees. "Now, I need you to be good little doggies while my friend and I make a call in the other room. And, to make sure of that, I'm just going to have you share this here crate with your little golden girl."

The taller man straighten up while the other unlocked the barred door and pushed Marshall in, leash and all. The two then walked through a door that stood across from the kitchen. Marshall assumed it to be some type of study because he saw a bookshelf peeking out before the door was closed.

"What are we going to do, Marshall?" whispered Amber after gathering the courage to speak again.

"We've got to get out of here," he said looking toward the entrance of the apartment.

"How?" Amber asked doubting they could even find a way to get out of the crate. They were silent for a moment. They could hear some muffled talking with some words being more audible than others, but the men were too far away and wall and door were too thick for even their sensitive hearing to penetrate.

"I'm not sure yet. We don't even know where we are… If only we could find a way to contact Ryder…" Marshall looked around. There was no landline in sight. These guys were really living the high-tech life. Maybe they could somehow get a hold of one of their phones. They were also bound to have a computer or similar device in that office. Or, if they ever made it out, they could find someone who could help them.

"Marshall? What do you think they're going to do to us?" whimpered Amber softly.

"I… I don't-" he was cut off by the sound of the two men emerging from their private phone conference.

"Good news my little helpers, we've got a job for you early tomorrow morning," said the taller man with a wide grin on his face.

"What do you mean?" asked Marshall.

"Oh, you'll see. No use worrying about it. I need you well rested and ready to work. Mike, why don't we move the crate into the corner between the couch and the window over there." The shorter man moved aside a side table that was occupying that spot. Then the two men lifted the crate and placed it there. The metal cage fit snuggly in the corner. "And just in case your smarter than you look, we'll just push this table right here… There we go. Have a good night my prized pups."

The taller man had placed the table in front of the only open side of the crate and walked away chuckling to himself. Now each side of the crate was blocked by something. What could the pups possibly do now? The two pups stared at each other and then through the bars at the top of the crate. Suddenly the shorter man reappeared holding a thick blue towel.

"It can get kinda cold here at night," was all he whispered and spread the towel over the top of the cage. It seemed like he was doing this hidden from the other man, because he didn't try to open the cage and put the towel inside. Using the towel for a blanket would have made much more sense. He seemed a tad nervous, however, as if out of fear of his partner noticing. His deed did not go unseen, unfortunately. He turned with a start when the taller man tapped him on the shoulder.

"Why, may I ask, are you putting that towel on top of that crate, Mike?" he articulated staring coldly into Mike's eyes. "We can't be having the little beasts chewing it up."

"Uh… I, um, was just using it as some sort of sound barrier, you know, so it won't be so loud if they start whining or something…"

"I see… Well, as long as it's one of your towels, I guess it's a good idea," the taller man said pointedly.

"It is," Mike answered quickly. Then forcing a yawn he added, "I'm going to hit the hay. See you in the mornin' Trevor."

"Yeah… see ya in the morning," returned Trevor as he walked over to a far wall and shut off all the lights but the one by the front door. The two men walked into their respective rooms and shut the door. The pups felt slightly relieved to not have the men looming over them anymore.

"That was pretty kind of that Mike guy, huh?" commented Amber quietly.

"Yeah, it seemed like he was actually trying to be nice," Marshall conjectured.

"But then, he lied to his friend about helping us stay warm. I wonder why he did that."

"I'm not sure, but we should still be careful with him. He could still be a bad guy."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm so nervous about the 'work' we're going to be doing tomorrow that I don't know if I can even fall asleep."

"Me too… but at least we can't hear the storm that much anymore…"

"Hey, you're right. We're right next to a window, but the walls and glass in this place must be so sturdy that sound doesn't really come though too loudly," Amber said turning her head to listen to the faint tapping of rain.

"Yeah," agreed Marshall. The two pups yawned although their eyes were not even the slightest bit droopy. Adrenaline still lingered in their veins.

"I... guess, if there's nothing we can do, we should at least try to get a little sleep…"

"Yeah, there's no use in being tired when we try to escape tomorrow, huh?"

The two pups settled as best they could in the small crate. The towel did help to keep it not so cold. With a miniscule _click,_ the light in the front hall turned off on its own. Both pups were caught off guard by this. It wasn't very easy to fall asleep in a dark, unfamiliar place where people lived who didn't seem to care about them. Marshall and Amber sighed and murmured in unison, "I wish I had my bear."

They didn't mean for the other to hear, but the coincidence was too funny for Amber not to comment. "You sleep with a teddy bear too?"

"Yeah," giggled Marshall nervously. He didn't know, at first, why he felt so embarrassed. All the other pups knew, and he had assumed that Amber knew too since they had all been sleeping in the same room. He guessed that since Amber was a newer friend and younger than him, it kind of seemed silly for him sleep with a stuffed animal. What was he going to say now to the pup who thought he was some brave hero pup? "… I sleep with it all the time. You don't think I'm silly, do you?"

"It kinda makes me glad. I thought for a while that maybe I was getting too old for teddy bears. Well, that is, until that first night at the Lookout when Zuma woke me up from a nightmare and told me that he slept with a toy when he had rough nights; but that's only sometimes. I really love Little Blue and sleep with her almost every night even if I don't have a nightmare. I was starting to feel embarrassed again, because I didn't want to look like a baby. But, now that I know another older pup that thinks it's okay, I don't feel as nervous about it."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't really think about it that much. I'm glad you don't feel embarrassed about it. And I'm glad you don't think I'm silly either. It's nice to have something like a bear to hug. It kind of makes you feel safe and happy," Marshall said smiling for the first time since the beach.

"Exactly," said Amber smiling too. She gave a big yawn.

"Well, we may not have our bears to keep us safe, but at least we're not alone. And tomorrow we will be back together with them and our friends," Marshall said yearning to yawn himself.

"Yeah," agreed Amber hopefully resting her head on her paws and slowly closing her eyes. "Good night, Marshall."

"Good night," Marshall said curling up and shutting his eyes as well. In the stillness, the two pups could just pick up the soft rumble of some far off thunder.

* * *

Ryder put the pup pad down in his lap and stared out the window of the Air Patroller.

"What did they say, Ryder?" asked Chase tentatively. He could tell the expression on Ryder's face was frustrated at best.

Ryder took a deep breath before answering. "They said they would add Marshall and Amber to the list of missing pups in Cape Catfish and check in with us if they hear anything."

"That's it? So are they going to search for them as soon as the rain stops?" asked Chase deeply concerned for his friends.

"I don't think so. They said they had a very long list of pups that are reported missing and they have to give priority to the ones that are at the top of the list because they have been missing longer. Oddly enough, they told me that, just like Marshall and Amber, most of the pups on the list were victims of pupnapping making them more urgent than if they were just runaways. The best they could do for us was hang up some flyers…"

"More flyers? We have to find them right now! We can't wait for them to get taken where we won't be able to find them, or get hurt… or worse…" an aggravated knot was now gripping Chase's throat and frustrated tears were clouding his eyes. Ryder knew exactly how he felt.

"I know. We'll just have to do this without the help of the Cape Catfish Police," Ryder said hoping that his statement sounded more encouraging than he thought it did.

"So they said it was okay for the PAW Patrol to work on the case?" asked Chase turning the corners of his mouth up slightly.

"Well… they didn't seem to convinced about it, but I assured them that we were very qualified and gave them Mayor Goodway's contact information if they had any questions…"

"And they believed you then, right?" chimed in Rubble who was now listening in with all the other pups.

"Kind of… they said they would call her later. They at least knew a little about us from the articles on how we saved Amber."

"So we can go out and search as soon as the rain slows down just like we planned," said Skye eagerly.

"Not exactly," Ryder said standing up to face all the wide-eyed pups. "We only have permission to work during the day. Because our team is made up of such… young members, including myself, we need to follow the curfew and-"

"Curfew? But, our friends could be in trouble this very moment!" insisted Rocky.

"I know, but we can't argue with the police. They are the protectors of this city and if we want to have any chance at all of finding Amber and Marshall we need to make sure we don't do anything that would keep us from giving this our all. That includes staying up past curfew."

The pups bowed their heads in understanding, but they weren't happy with the decision. Even Chase, who knew perfectly well about upholding the law wore a sour expression. He wanted, more than anything, to stay up as long as it took to find his friends even if his eyes burned and his muscles ached.

A little while later, the clouds seemed to be running low on juice and the massive waterfall that had been rushing down earlier turned into a gentle summer shower. Ryder had Robo-Dog fly the Air Patroller back to the empty lot by Mr. Sabello's house. Everyone was silent for the ride there and even as they walked up the driveway and to Mr. Sabello's front door. The old man opened the door as soon as he saw Ryder and the team arrive.

"Any luck my boy?" he asked in anticipation.

"No," Ryder sighed. "I can tell you all about it if you would allow us inside."

"Of course, of course, come in," he said opening the door wider to let them in.

Rachel and Blizzard were there along with Amber's mom and sisters who were going to be spending the night.

"Anything, Ryder?" asked Glimmer.

"Not yet," he said. "Apparently, there have been a lot of pupnappings and that has the police very busy. We've been given special permission to search for the pups ourselves but we can't start until tomorrow morning."

"Oh no," gasped Gemma and Goldie at the same time.

"Don't worry. After a good night's sleep, the pups and I will be ready to go before the sun even rises. I think we have a way of finding out who might have pupnapped them," Ryder said determinedly.

"That's wonderful," said Rachel clasping her hands. "Well, if you can't work until morning, why don't we settle down for the night. Maybe we'll come up with more ideas while we sleep. Ryder? Since there are so many of us, why don't you sleep here with the girls and Blizzard and I will have the boys sleep at our place."

"Well…" thought Ryder.

"Please, Ryder," pleaded Blizzard. Despite the desperateness of the situation that was going on concerning Amber and Marshall, Blizzard couldn't resist even being to some extent excited about having members of the PAW Patrol sleeping at his house.

"It's fine with me," he answered with a small smile in Blizzard's direction. "We don't want to crowd your house with pups, Mr. Sabello. Rubble, Zuma, Chase, and Rocky, you can go over to sleep at Rachel's house. Just remember, we are getting up early to restart the search. Skye and Everest, you two stay here with me."

"You got it, Ryder, Sir," Chase responded maturely.

The pups split up and helped lay out some of the beach towels they had used earlier that day as makeshift beds. Eventually after restless tossing and turning of bodies and thoughts, there was only the sound of soft, relaxed breathing coming from within the two houses.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Realizations**

Chase was the first to wake. Only the faintest glow of light could be seen through Rachel's living room window. If Ryder said they would be up and ready before sunrise, Chase was going to stick to his word. He got up and stretched. Rocky, Zuma, and Rubble were still curled up on beach towels adjacent to his. He walked over to each and nudged them awake calling the pup's name at the same time. He knew that as soon as Ryder woke up and was ready to go, he would call them, but Chase decided he should take the initiative. There was no time to lose when it came to the mission they had on their hands.

"Is it time to get up alwready, dude?" moaned Zuma.

"Yeah. Now, c'mon, we don't want to wake up-"

"Mornin' guys!" Blizzard chanted as he walked around the corner of the hall that led to Rachel's room. "So what's the plan? Oh! I know! Chase, you're going to go all super spy and send your drone out after Marshall and Amber, right? Oh, and I bet Skye's gonna be all supersonic and speed around town asking if anyone's seen them and-"

Just then, the pup tags sounded and Ryder's voice came on, "PAW Patrol, to the Air Patroller!"

"Ryder needs us!" the four pups said together. Before they even took a step toward the door, Blizzard was already waiting there.

"C'mon pups. What are you waiting for?" Blizzard unlocked the door, something he had just recently learned to do, and scampered outside, with the group of dumbstruck pups right behind him.

Breakfast was waiting for the pups onboard. Skye and Everest had just started eating when Ryder saw the other pups racing over. He wasn't sure what Blizzard was doing with them, though. "Good morning, pups," he said from the top of the boarding ramp.

"Good morning!" Blizzard responded chipperly.

"Hi… Blizzard. Did you need something?" asked Ryder. Blizzard dashed up the ramp and then sat in front of Ryder wagging his tail.

"Nope. I'm here to help!" Blizzard said with a large grin on his face.

"Oh, I see…" Ryder searched for the right response in his mind. He didn't know Blizzard very well and honestly hadn't a clue as to what help he could offer. On the other hand, he never liked to turn anyone away from the chance at doing something good. He knew it would mean a lot to Blizzard to participate in the search for his friend. "Does Rachel know you're here?"

"Well… not exactly. She's kinda still sleeping… But, you can just call her and tell her I'm with you, Right?" he answered with a nervously hopeful smile.

"Sure, but we've got to get moving. So, if she doesn't answer or says you can't come, I'm going to have to leave you, okay?" Ryder pulled out his pup pad and Blizzard gave Ryder her number. It rang a few times before a groggy Rachel answered.

"Hello?" she yawned.

"Hi, Rachel. It's Ryder."

"Oh, Ryder, hi. What's up?"

"Well, actually. I'm calling to ask if it's okay for Blizzard to tag along. He really wants to help and it's okay with me if it's fine with you."

"Oh, that pesky pup. I'm so sorry, Ryder. He's probably keeping you from you work-"

"Rachel, please! I know I can help. I'm sure I know things about this city that Ryder and the pups don't know. No offense, Ryder." Blizzard interrupted.

"Like I said, I'm totally fine with Blizzard helping just as long as he promises to listen and stay out of danger," Ryder said with a sideways glance to meet Blizzards pleading eyes.

It was silent for a while before Rachel sighed, "Alright, if you think he'll be of use in bringing Amber and Marshall home, I give him permission. Be safe out there."

"We will!" Ryder and Blizzard responded. Rachel hung up and Ryder looked at the now fully assembled team.

"Sorry I didn't bring breakfast for you, Blizzard. I didn't know you were coming," Ryder said noticing the unbalance between pups and bowls.

"That's okay. I ate already. Rachel doesn't know this but I keep a secret stash of kibble under her bed," Blizzard said with a sly smirk and a tilt of the head. Some of the pups couldn't resist a small chuckle.

"Okay, well, the rest of you pups, finish up quickly so we can get down to cracking this case. I know you would rather skip breakfast, but we're not sure how long this is going to take us," Ryder pointed out.

"Hopefully not too long," Everest said vocalizing what everyone was wishing.

It only took about five minutes for the pups to be lined up and at attention. Blizzard took Marshall's usual spot. After a quick questioning glance in Blizzard's direction, Chase spoke up, "PAW Patrol and Blizzard ready for action, Ryder, Sir!"

"Okay, pups, it's time to make some progress today. I know we can do this. It's gonna be all paws on deck again. Chase, I'm going to borrow your drone and monitor it here from the Air Patroller while you use your megaphone to search the parts of the city near the beach," relayed Ryder.

"Chase is on the case!" he called out.

"So cool," exclaimed Blizzard to himself. He was trying his best not to seem overexcited even though that word could not even begin to explain how stoked he was feeling to be on an actual mission with the PAW Patrol.

"The rest of you pups will be searching in different parts of the city making sure to be careful," Ryder emphasized. "Those pupnappers are still out there. They must know how your puptags work or they wouldn't have taken Marshall's off. We don't want that happening to you too. Skye I'd like you to search the East part of Cape Catfish. That's the more suburban part of town. It'll be easier for you to get around with your jets. Zuma you take West Cape. Rocky, you take North. Rubble, you take south. Everest you'll be searching downtown, and Blizzard and I will help you as soon as we pay a visit to the police station." After Ryder finished giving assignments, the pups answered in compliance.

"This pup's gotta fly!"

"Let's dive in!"

"Green means go!"

"Rubble on the double!"

"Off the trail, Everest won't fail!"

"Blizzard is the wizard!"

That last statement caught everyone off guard.

"What?" asked Blizzard sheepishly with all eyes on him. "Okay, so it might need a little work, but you've gotta admit it was clever!"

Laughter seeped through the cracked smiles on everyone's faces. Ryder then took his spot in the cockpit and proclaimed, "Alright! PAW Patrol is on a roll!"

* * *

Marshall and Amber were startled awake by a kick to the cage that rattled the metal bars and themselves.

"Wakey, wakey, pups!" Trevor said shortly before unlatching the door to the crate and turning to Mike. "Mike, take care of the pups while I finish up something in the other room."

Trevor walked over to the cage. The two pups were still trying to figure out what just happened and remember where they were. When Amber saw Mike's figure approaching she instinctually backed into the corner and whimpered. Marshall stood up abruptly and took a firm stance blocking Amber from Mike. Unfortunately, Marshall's legs weren't as awake as he thought they were and they wobbled under the sudden tension causing Marshall to slip back onto his belly. Mike laughed a bit at the sight, but to the pups' surprise, it wasn't a cruel laugh. It was a sincere… gentle laugh.

"Poor pups. Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to give you some breakfast," he said with a welcoming smile. "Come. I have your bowls set out in the kitchen. I'm sorry Trevor woke you up like that."

The gesture seemed honest enough. Marshall was the first to take a step through the door. He looked back to urge Amber to follow him. She slowly uncoiled from the corner and followed Marshall out into the living room. Mike then took hold of the leash that was still attached to Marshall and then clipped a leash to Amber's collar. He noticed Amber stop moving and could see the concern in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, girl. Trevor doesn't want you runnin' loose. I don't see why I have to leash you to walk a few feet away, but you can't really argue with him," Mike said with a shrug of his shoulders. He led the pups into the kitchen and waved his hand toward the two small bowls of dog food that were waiting in the middle of the floor. "Go on. It's the good stuff, not the cheap kind. I think it's chicken flavored. I've heard from the other dogs that it's pretty good."

 _The other dogs?_ Amber and Marshall looked at each other with the same thought.

"What's wrong? Don't like chicken? I can try and see if I can get you a different kind for lunch," Mike suggested sincerity in his voice.

The two pups hesitated. There was not one bit of this situation that felt comfortable. What if Mike was trying to trick them into eating bad pet food or something? Every pup was taught from very young to never accept food from strange humans. Mike then noticed the fear the pups were feeling.

"I promise the food is alright. We need you to help us, remember? We wouldn't want to do anything that would keep you from being able to work. I don't want you to go hungry, but if you don't get on your breakfast, you might just have to miss it. Trevor really wants to be on time today," Mike persisted.

Amber really didn't like the idea of helping these guys out, but against her determination to not comply, she was feeling hungry and who knew what would happen if they failed to do whatever it was Trevor was going to have them do just because they're tank was running empty. She looked at Marshall again and he seemed to understand what she was trying to say. They both walked forward into the kitchen and cautiously took a few nibbles at the food. It tasted alright. In fact, Mike was right. It was some of the best food they had ever savored. The door to the study was open just a crack and the pups could hear Trevor picking up some keys. This sound cued the pups to finish up quickly. Mike then took the empty bowls, rinsed them out, and filled them with water.

"Sorry we don't have separate bowls for water. We weren't expecting to recruit two pups," he said placing the bowls in front of the pups.

"Mike! Are you done over there? We've got to move it out of here before any of the neighbors start making their way to work!" Trevor demanded as he walked through the door of the study.

"Just about, Trevor," Mike replied calmly. "You're right. It's almost six and we do have some early risers on this floor. Oh, like that cute little old woman down in 510. She-"

"Mike! I don't want to know about that little old woman. I want to know if the pups are ready to go!" Trevor said with a snarl.

"Sure thing, Trev. See, they're all done with their water," Mike said gesturing to the two pups who were sitting next to Mike now taken aback by Trevor's less than amiable attitude.

"So, then, what are you doing standing around here for? Let's get them in the car!" Trevor snapped as he swung open the front door and headed down the hall. Mike followed right behind making sure to turn the lights off and lock the door.

The lights in the hall were still dimmed as they always were between eleven o'clock at night to seven o'clock in the morning. Amber, despite her best attempt, was having trouble walking down the hall because of how dark it was. Some doors had welcome mats that she would trip over and others had decorative vases or flowerpots adorning the entrance that she would graze of stumble into. Marshall quickly notice and had Amber stay close to him the rest of the way down. However, Marshall wasn't the only one who noticed, not that it was hard to anyway. As Trevor was leading the trudge down the hall by several feet's distance from Mike and the pups, he had no idea; but Mike started building concern for the pup. Had he hurt her legs the night before when he put her in the trunk of the car? She seemed to be walking just fine in the apartment. Was she just so tired that she was still getting a grip on walking far distances? He had no idea. He put the thought away for the moment and watched for the elevator doors to open.

When the elevator arrived, everyone filed in without a word, much like their walk down the long hallway. And, they remained silent until they reached the gray five-seater that had been their transport into this mess. Trevor spun around and pointed a demanding finger at Marshall and Amber.

"No nonsense. Do you hear me? Two pups like you are no match for Mike and I. The only thing you'll gain from fighting us is getting yourselves tired. We can't have you running out of juice or you won't be able to work as efficiently, and if you don't do a good job… well, let's just say, things are not going to be pretty either for you or us," Trevor said furrowing his brow.

Marshall knew it wasn't a good time to make an effort at escaping. He was a pretty fast pup, but he couldn't leave Amber in the dust. Also, there was hardly anyone on the streets yet which would make it hard to find someone who could help them keep Mike and Trevor off their trail. There was the chance that they would run into a police officer or even Ryder while they made a run for it, but it was not the opportune time to take that chance.

With grudging compliance, the two pups let the men pick them up and put them into the trunk. Whatever light that had begun to seep its way into the parking garage was shut out with the harsh metallic slam of the hatch. The pups sighed in exacerbation at their current situation.

Soon the rumble of the engine could be heard and felt through the floor of the trunk and their bodies could feel the car backing out of the parking space and make its way out of the parking garage.

The pups did not speak, but for different reasons. Marshall was wondering how on Earth he was going to get Amber and himself free of Mike and Trevor, while Amber was concerned for not only that, but other things as well. What if there were opportunities for them to escape, but because of Amber they would fail to make it? What if Marshall, Ryder, and the others were mad at her for what had happened? And on top of all that, now they were being forced to do some kind of work, and if they did not perform that task well, something bad would happen. Amber felt like crying, she really did; but she didn't want Marshall asking her what was on her mind. She also felt like she had done enough crying in the last week. She fought back the knot in her throat and took a deep breath.

After several minutes of quick bursts of speed and jolting turns, the rollercoaster ride finally came to an end. The pups were both relieved and nervous. The trunk opened and Mike helped the pups out. He adjusted his grip on both leashed in his hand and told the pups to follow him.

They had arrived at a large concrete building with a moderately sized parking lot to match. The surrounding area was highly forested with only a couple of residences visible between the tall trees. The grass was overgrown and the sidewalk they were now walking on was severely cracked and dirty with weeds sprouting up between the slabs. The exterior of the building mimicked its surroundings. Some parts of the walls were stained and others had some kind of vines growing on them.

When they walked inside, however, the view was completely different. After passing a small foyer, they walked through another set of doors that led to a brightly lit, open area where a young man was sitting at a long desk surrounded by small piles of paper.

"Good morning, Mike. Good morning, Trevor," the young man called out as they approached his desk.

"Mornin' Ben! How's it goin'?" replied Mike cheerfully.

"Not too bad, not too bad. Steve just brought in a new recruit this morning. She was a spunky little labradoodle, pretty smart too. And we've got a couple of contenders who are really close to making it in-"

"Very nice. Is the boss around? As you can see we've got two new recruits who are supposed to go on their first mission today," interrupted Trevor.

"Oh yeah, he's actually waiting for you in his office. I'll let him know you're coming," said Ben with a smile that showed all his perfect teeth. He pushed some papers aside revealing a telephone. He held down a button and spoke into the phones microphone, "Boss, Mike and Trevor are here to see you."

"Thanks, Ben. Send them in," came a voice from the speaker of the phone. Trevor wasted no time. He strode straight toward a door in the back corner of the room. By it was a glass window that reached from floor to ceiling that was made opaque by a closed curtain on the inside of the office.

"Thanks, Ben," said Mike before leading the pups quickly to the boss's office to catch up with Trevor.

Trevor knocked and a man about Trevor's height opened it. Unlike Trevor, however, this man was not lanky but muscular with brown hair multiple shades darker than Trevor's as well. He gestured the small group in and closed the door behind them. The more doors they went through in this place made Marshall feel more and more trapped.

"Hmmm," said the man thoughtfully as he circled around Amber and then Marshall. He seemed to be inspecting them in some way. "You've got a couple of nice catches here boys."

"You could say they were reward material," suggested Trevor.

"Now, don't get ahead of me Trev. We still need to see how they hold up on the field," he stared at Amber curiously. "What's with that pup's eyes? Why don't they stay still?"

 _Her eyes!_ Mike finally realized. He started to open his mouth to mention something, but Trevor cut him off.

"Nothing… She's just nervous, that's all. She's taking in her surroundings. She's very good at that." Trevor advertised. This was partially true but to Amber it did not seem that Trevor really knew about her eyes. On the contrary, he did. He knew exactly who she was. He was one of the standers by who saw the pups deploy from their mini jet and spread flyers about her throughout town. It was then that he decided to make capturing her a priority. Catching Marshall was just a coincidental bonus. Trevor hoped the boss would not ask any further questions regarding Amber. He wasn't sure how long he could keep up the charade. He just hoped that Amber was given the right circumstances to show what she was capable of and be given a spot on the boss's list before anyone noticed what was really going on with her eyes. Not that he cared what would happen to her if she didn't make it; he just wanted the money that would come of it.

Mike saw the look in Trevor's eyes, but didn't say anything. It seemed like Trevor was keeping something a secret and if Mike tried to get him to reveal it in front of the boss, he could tell that Trevor would not be very happy with him. He opted to keep his mouth shut for now.

"Well, boys, I suppose I should give these pups their briefing and send them off to work. Mike, you can just hook them up to that ring on the wall there," the boss said pointing to a small metal ring that was screwed into the wall. Attached to it were a couple of cords with clips on the end which mike hooked onto the pups' collars before removing their leashes. After hanging the two leashes on the wall above the pups, Mike turned to them.

"Good luck today," he said with a smile. "I think you'll do great!"

"Yeah, good luck," said Trevor with a slightly darker tone and a sharp look. The two men walked out of the office and disappeared behind the door. As soon as the door shut, the boss gave the pups no time for questions.

"You pups are now recruits in the Cape Catfish Canine Protectors Program," he started in an authoritative voice. "There are various training exercises and test you must pass to qualify for a spot on the elite team that I am forming. This team will serve under me as the first responders of this town, and can only be comprised of the best of the best."

This all sounded very familiar to Marshall and Amber. This man was recruiting pups to form a sort of PAW Patrol for Cape Catfish. Did he know that Marshall already had his loyalty pledged to another city and that Amber was in the process of finding an adoptive family? Did he know that the reason they were there was because they were pupnapped? His questions were partially answered when the boss continued his speech.

"Now, just so you are aware, this town does not believe in you the way I do. They've seen what the Adventure Bay PAW Patrol can do and still refuse to allow me the permission to form a similar team; but that is not stopping me. They are not aware of my little project in progress, but I know that once they see what my team is able to do they will realize what I have been seeing all along in pups such as yourselves, heroes," he said determinedly. He began pacing around the room taking strong proud strides. "Because I was denied the authority to recruit dogs publicly and there weren't any generous citizens who would donate their own pups to the program, I've had to revert to picking pups from the street. Now, I don't want you to think I'm cruel for doing this, but I do have pups here that did belong to families; but I assure you, they are better off here than with the people who didn't care enough to keep their pups from getting lost on the street in the first place."

This comment shocked Marshall and Amber. This man was keeping pups from getting back to their families who have probably been worried and desperately searching for them endlessly, and he knew this. Amber could image exactly how those pups were feeling and how their owners felt too. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This man was intending to do something legitimately good for this city, but was going about it all wrong. Marshall couldn't let him say any more.

"You can't do this! You're going against orders and keeping all these pups from getting back home. Giving them a chance to be heroes is a great thing. Believe me I love feeling like I'm doing something good for others, but I bet some of the pups here are being held against their will-"

"You…" the man said staring hard at Marshall's face. "I thought I recognized you! You're one of the PAW Patrol pups, aren't you? Marshall, is it?"

Marshall was stunned, "How do you know who I am?"

"Oh, I've done my research. Do you think I wouldn't study everything there is to know about your team before forming a PAW Patrol of my own? This is great! Who would have thought that in looking for pups that were PAW Patrol material I would end up having one of the actual PAW Patrol pups as one of my recruits?"

"I'm not joining your team and neither is Amber," Marshall assured him.

"Amber… I thought I recognized you too! You have flyers all over town. Listen to me pups. The reason you're here is that you're meant to be here. Mike and Trevor brought you to me because they must have found you alone on the street. Apparently, your team doesn't want you anymore, but I do. And, I know they were trying to help you find a new home, Amber. Just think about it, this could be it. Well, if you pass the tests and training that is…"

Amber was done being quiet. This was all her fault and she had to at least get Marshall out of here. She didn't care what happened to her. If Marshall decided to come back with Ryder to rescue her, fine. Either way, he didn't deserve to go through this. Maybe if the man knew how it was that they ended up getting pupnapped, he would let Marshall leave. "The PAW Patrol didn't abandon us… well not on purpose. We were waiting by the street for them to come back and get us… and all because I couldn't see enough to make it to the van by myself."

"Is that so? I knew from your flyer that you couldn't see well, but if you can't make it around by yourself… well, I don't think your cut out for my program. That is, unless you have some redeeming tricks up your beautiful gold fur," said the man folding his arms.

"So you'll let us go?" asked Marshall.

"Oh no, not at all. I have a better plan," he said bringing one of his hands up to his cheek and tapping with one of his fingers. "I could use a pup like you Marshall. And, if your team is looking for you as you say, I'd like to strike a deal with your leader. I'll let them take one of you back if they let me keep the other."

"Ryder would never make that deal with you." Marshall said now become frustrated at this man's persistence in doing things crookedly. Amber wasn't sure she agreed with Marshall. She might have a day ago, but not now. Maybe the reason Ryder was working so hard to find her a home was because he didn't want to deal with her anymore. It was obvious at the beach that she was more of a burden than anything else. And, now that she got Marshall and herself pupnapped, why would Ryder choose to take her over him? Maybe this was where she belonged.

"I could just call him now, you know, and have this little situation done and over with; but I don't think I will. I want to see what you pups are made of. Who knows, maybe I'll want to keep both of you. Maybe I won't want either of you. We'll just have to see," he said with a smirk.

"You've got to at least let us call him to let him know we're okay," Marshall pleaded. The man walked over to the wide window behind his desk and seemed to ponder Marshall's request.

"No," he said finally.

"What?" argued the two shocked pups.

"I said no. You think I don't know how ingenious that boy is. He will surely be able to trace the phone signal and show up over here without warning and ruin everything I've worked so hard to achieve. He won't understand my reasons for doing this hidden from the Cape Catfish authorities. I'll have him meet with me when I'm ready. For now, you work and prove to me that you are worthy of telephone privileges."

This hardly seemed fair at all. Up until now, they hadn't even been told what happens to pups who don't make the team; but it didn't sound like they would get a chance to see Ryder that way either. The only choice, it seemed, was to do their best and hope they impressed the boss.

"Oh," he said abruptly turning his gaze upon the pups, "one more thing. If you even so much as think about planning an escape from here, I'll see to it that you have no way on this planet of finding your way back to your precious team. Do I make myself clear?"

The two pups could not speak, only nod. This man was serious and scary.

"Now for the fun stuff," he said lightening his mood but still keeping his signature authoritative pitch. "Your job today will be to search the junk yard for some supplies I need for some additions to our outdoor training course. I will have one of my men escort you there and provide you with a list. Bring back everything on that list, and you pass to the next level of training. The important thing here is to go and come back in as little time as possible and to be efficient. Got it?"

"Got it," muttered Marshall.

"Good. Oh, and before I call your escort in, there's one more thing I need to do," he went behind his desk and opened one of the drawers. He pulled to objects out and walked toward the pups with them. He came to Amber first. "There is a tracking device in this wristband. It'll let me know exactly where you are and what you're doing at all times. So, I'll know if you go back on your word and indeed make a run for it. Once it's clipped on, it's impossible to take off, unlike your collar Marshall. Only I can remove it."

He snapped the wristband into place around Amber's front leg and removed the pink beaded bracelet she had gotten at the luau. Seeing how forlorn she looked at its confiscation, he spoke again, "You'll get this back if and when you prove yourself to me." He then moved onto Marshall and repeated the gesture. Happy with his progress he stood up, dusted his hands off, and said, "There."

Soon after, another strong looking man walked in, leashed the pups up, and took them away. Thinking about nature of their job, Marshall couldn't help wonder what Rocky was doing. Was he even awake yet? Were he and the rest of the pups looking for him and Amber? They had to be.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello Everyone!**

 **I hope you had a wonderful and safe Independence Day! I apologize from the bottom of my heart for leaving you hanging for over two weeks. I hope you can forgive me. If you have resolved to persist in reading this story, I thank you so very much for you patience and loyalty. I really hope you enjoy this chapter and that it was worth waiting for :) Shout out to Star Holder Commander for the character idea of Captain Leonas Walker! Enjoy!**

 **Always yours,**

 **Kristelrose**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Silver Lining**

Ryder and Blizzard walked up the steps to the police station. Ryder took a deep breath before walking through the door. Despite the fact that the police's missing dog cases were backed up and didn't seem to be of high priority, the Sheriff's assistant had given Ryder permission to personally take over Marshall and Amber's case. Ryder was hoping that someone would allow him to view the surveillance videos from the previous night at the dock. Maybe they would give him a clue as to who could have possibly pupnapped the two of them.

A couple of women were sitting at the front desk. The younger one seemed to be on the phone with someone and the other less friendly looking one took a moment to glare at Ryder and then continue doing something on her desktop. Ryder bit his lip softly before speaking.

"Excuse me, Ma'am," he said politely.

"Yes, what is it young man?" she said dryly.

"I'm Ryder of the PAW Patrol and I was wondering if I could speak to the Sheriff's Assistant," he said keeping his friendly manner.

"He's not here today," she said without removing her eyes from the computer screen. Ryder waiting for more, but she offered nothing so he continued.

"Well, is there someone else I can talk to? It's about a case I was given. I'd really like to-"

"You better not be wasting my time little boy. There are many more important things for me to take care of then to sit here and listen to you tell stories," she said bitterly.

"He's not lying, Lady," said Blizzard standing on his hind legs so that his front paws gripped the front edge of the desk. It was short enough that Blizzard's chin could reach over it. The woman nearly fell out of her seat in surprise. "The Sheriff's Assistant may not be here but someone else has to know about Ryder calling in here last night!"

"Alright, alright! I will see what I can do for you," she said straightening up in her seat. "Now please, go take a seat and I'll have someone speak with you in a moment."

Ryder and Blizzard obeyed.

"You've got to be careful, Blizzard," Ryder counseled. "We don't want one of the only chances we have at finding our friends taken away from us just because we think someone isn't cooperating the way we want."

Blizzard understood and nodded as he watched the older receptionist pick up the phone. There were police officers walking about and a television was playing the day's news in addition to the other receptionist's conversation, so Blizzard could not make out everything she was saying. He could only make out the words "PAW Patrol" and "case," nothing very useful.

Time felt like it was dragging and Blizzard had shifted his position on the floor at least a dozen times. Right now, he was on his back with all four legs in the air. Ryder had been very quietly doing something on his pup pad and would smile occasionally at Blizzard's restlessness. The two had grown so accustomed to the inactivity that they jumped a bit at hearing the receptionist call them over to the desk. They were at the desk again in a heartbeat.

"The Sheriff says he will see you now," she said with a half-surprised expression in her face. Then she continued in her signature grouchy tone, "Don't take too long. He is a very busy man. His office is around the left here, first door on the right. Hurry on now."

Ryder nodded and walked briskly with Blizzard at his heals in the direction they had been told to go. When they reached the door with the word "Sheriff" printed in large letters on the glass, Ryder hesitated before knocking. He then tapped so lightly he was unsure if it was audible from the other side of the door.

"Come on in," announced a strong voice from inside. Ryder gently turned the doorknob and slowly cracked the door open. To Ryder's relief they were greeted by a warm smile. The Sheriff stood up from behind his desk and walked over to Ryder and Blizzard extending his hand. "Ryder, it is very nice to meet you. I have heard so many great things about you and your PAW Patrol. Please, take a seat."

"Thank you! It was very kind of you to make time to meet with me."

"No trouble at all. Before came in, I was just reading the notes my assistant had written on the case." He face morphed into an expression of worry. "It looks we've got a pup named… Marshall missing?"

"Yes, he's one of mine, the team's firepup and EMT," responded Ryder wondering why he asked.

"Hmmm. I see. That is what I thought. I wonder why Jack did not mention that we had a first responder to look for. That is very strange he did not make this of higher priority." The Sheriff stared at the page of notes and rubbed his chin with one hand.

"So, does that mean you can help us find them?" asked Blizzard perking up his ears.

"I'll see what I can do. It might be a while before I can get a team out for you. Unfortunately, it looks like everyone is out on assignments. Things have been unusually busy lately. It feels like I've been running shorter and shorter on officers."

Ryder frowned at this. "Well, at least I still have my pups to help… and a favor from you, if you don't mind."

"What would that be, Ryder, son?" he asked folding his hands on top of the case notes.

"I was wonder if I could have a look at some footage taken by the security cameras near the pier last night. I was hoping it could lead me to something that would help find out who took Marshall and Amber," proposed Ryder.

"Of course, no problem. In fact, since Jack is not in the office today, I can let you borrow his computer. I'll get you started." He stood up and led Ryder and Blizzard to the office next door. It looked like no one had been in there for quite some time. The desk was completely cleared off and only a few reminders were tacked onto the corkboard on the wall. The Sheriff seemed to notice this for a second before logging onto the surveillance video log for Ryder. He stood up from the desk and offered the chair to Ryder who raised a questioning eyebrow. "It's all yours. Just make sure to log out when you're done. And, don't worry. I spoke to Mayor Goodway before calling you to my office. I trust you."

"Thank you!" Ryder finally said after the shock being given so much trust.

"Sure thing. Mayor Goodway says you are a very bright boy. So I'm sure you'll be alright on your own, correct?"

"Oh, yes, I'll be fine," Ryder assured.

"Great! I have to get back to work, but come get me if you need anything and I'll try my best to help you. Oh, and Mayor Goodway sends her best regards and says that all of Adventure Bay is hoping and praying that you bring Marshall and Amber home safe. That town really loves you guys." With that, the Sheriff turned and walked out of the office.

Ryder was touched by what the kind man had said and felt hope growing again in his heart. He sat in the big leather chair and had Blizzard sit next to him. He placed his hand on the mouse and sighed deeply wishing under his breath that soon they would get closer to their goal.

He pulled up the satellite map of Cape Catfish and pinpointed the locations of the nearest cameras to where the pups had been waiting for the van to return. There were about five options. He started with the camera from the smoothie cafe and went back to the footage taken around sunset the previous night. He checked his pup pad for the specific time slot between when Marshall had contacted him and when they had arrived to see the pups missing.

"Let's go back to 8:21pm," he mumbled to himself. Blizzard sat quietly watching the footage. The saw someone walk out of the café and get on his bike. A couple minutes later, a minivan came down the stretch of road visible to the camera. Ryder paused the video to check for a license plate number, but he couldn't make it out because of the angle of the shot. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin in thought.

"Let's try a camera a little closer to the parking lot entrance," he suggested mostly to himself. The souvenir shop was almost directly across from the bench where the two pups had been waiting. It couldn't be seen on camera, but Ryder remembered seeing it. He started the video at 8:21pm again. A couple cars passed, but none stopped or showed any interest in that spot. Then, at about 8:28pm, something glinted at the camera.

"What was that?" asked Blizzard letting out the breath he was holding.

"I don't know. I'll zoom it in." Ryder paused the video and zoomed in the frozen image. "It's Marshall's pup tag and collar!"

"Play the video, Ryder!" insisted Blizzard anxious to see what else they would find.

Ryder zoomed back out and continued the footage. Pretty soon, a small gray car zipped from the area around the entrance of the beach parking lot up the road going northward. Less than a minute later, Ryder and Blizzard the Cape Catfish Guide Dogs van pull in and Chase point out Marshall's collar lying in the middle of the road. Ryder paused the video.

"So, do you think-" started to ask Blizzard.

"I couldn't get a good view of the plate again," said Ryder knowing what Blizzard was insinuating.

"What about a traffic camera? They had to have passed the light further up. There's no other place to go, unless they went off road," suggested Blizzard.

"You're right," Ryder searched for the traffic camera footage as he spoke. "Let's hope they stayed on the road. With a nice car like that, I don't think would do otherwise. Got it! Now, let's go back to 8:28. Keep an eye out for that car."

On the screen, they saw a virtually empty road. Then, came the guide dog van. That was their cue! Ryder slowed the video down and as soon as he spotted the small five-seater, he froze the frame.

"That's the car!" Blizzard shouted widening his eyes. "I think I remember it now! That was the car that almost got us into an accident."

"I think you're right, Blizzard," said Ryder turning to look at him with an equally cognoscente expression. "No wonder they were in such a hurry. It wasn't because of the storm."

"It was because they were making their escape!" Blizzard finished.

"P-U-P-S-4-C-C-P," Ryder read aloud as he saved the number in his pup pad.

"Pups?" questioned Blizzard.

"Huh? Oh, that's probably coincidental. It probably doesn't mean anything," Ryder explained. He smiled and winked at Blizzard and told him, "I'll keep in mind, though, just in case it does mean something."

"Can I just tell you how awesome it is to be on a real mission right now? Because, it's really, really awesome!" Blizzard exclaimed almost jumping out of the seat.

Ryder chuckled. "I'm glad you are enjoying yourself, but we're not done." Ryder opened up another program on the desktop to run the license plate number. "We've got to figure out who this car belongs to."

* * *

Chase gradually powered down his glider and landed right in front of a bench, that bench. He stared at the area where his friends had probably been sitting right before they were taken. The rain had washed away any trace of the happenings from the night before. This frustrated Chase, but he still held on to the scents of the two pairs of boots that had made away with Marshall and Amber. He held on to them tightly.

He turned his head from side to side deciding where to start. The pupnappers escaped in a car, so they weren't going to go anywhere too close to the beach, but maybe to a nearby hotel or something. The Coral Inn was just past the dock and that's the direction Chase chose to go in. The concrete was cool under his paws from the rain from the night before. The sun was still hidden behind some buildings casting a large shadow along the road that ran along the boardwalk.

It was still early and only the few shop owners had arrived to open up for business, but Chase payed no attention to their stares. He was deep in concentration trying to pick up even the slightest whiff of Marshall, Amber, or those two pairs of shoes. This is why he was startled when a man approached him.

"Excuse me, Sergeant," the man called out with an amused smile.

"Huh?" Chase's focus was broken. He blinked and looked around to find where the voice was coming from. He then saw a tall man walking down the dock in his direction. Chase stiffened up. He remembered what Ryder said about being cautious of any trying to pupnap him and removing his collar like they did to Marshall. The man had a power manner in his stride, but his face was only showing calm and curiosity.

"At ease," he commanded kindly. Chase couldn't help but soften the grip he had on the pavement. "What's a pup in uniform doing strolin' around these parts unaccompanied? Are you patrolling the pier? Or maybe, takin' a morning walk in the cool sea air like me?"

"Um…" Chase raised an eyebrow. Who was this man? He seemed friendly enough. And, had he actually called him sergeant?

"Oh, I'm sorry. I let my curiosity get ahead of my manners. Captain Leonas Walker of the United States Airforce at your service." The man showed Chase a shiny badge he had pinned to his jacket. Chase marveled at it for a moment. "What your name, Sergeant?"

"Oh, um, I'm Chase of the Adventure Bay PAW Patrol," Chase said staring up at the man's bright green eyes. They were kind of cool looking with purple flecks in them. Chase wagged his tail a little. Who could tell this man was no threat.

"PAW Patrol, huh? Sounds interesting. Is that a police dog training program?" Captain Walker said crouching down to look at Chase at eyelevel.

"Not exactly. It's a rescue team made up of pups and led by Ryder our human. I'm actually on a mission right now. One of our pups and a good friend were pupnapped last night here at the pier and we haven't been able to find them," Chase explained furrowing his brow.

"Have you contacted the police about it?" asked the Captain showing concern in his crystal-like eyes.

"Yeah, but they can't help. They said there were a bunch of other pups missing too and they had to work on their cases before they could get to ours. It's only fair, I guess," Chase sighed tensely.

"Hmmm… That does not sound right to me. All those pups are important too, but we've got a rescue personnel missing. That should be something of priority. Don't you think?" Captain Walker pushed a stay strand of his shoulder-length black hair behind his ear. "So, it's just you and your team searchin' for these pups?"

"Yes, Sir. They at least gave us permission to conduct the search ourselves," Chase said staring at the sun glinting off some of the windows of the Coral Inn. Captain Walker could tell something was bothering the pup.

"Chase? Is that what you said your name was, Sergeant?" he asked softly.

"Yes, Sir. And, why do you keep calling me Sergeant?" Chase asked turning to look at the Air Force Captain.

"Because that's what you are. Aren't ya? I doubt those three chevrons on your vest are just for show," He gave Chase a small smile.

"Well, no… I guess I just haven't heard anyone call me that in a while," Chase admitted.

"Well, that title's a part of ya," the Captain said tapping the symbol by Chase's left shoulder. "The least that police department could have done was place a few officers under your command to help with the search."

"I guess so…" Chase looked back away.

"That's not what's bothering you, pup, is it?" The Captains tone became that of a father.

"What are you talking about?" Chase trying to sound genuinely confused. The concerned frown on the Captain's did not waver. Chase felt an urge to reveal what he had been thinking since the night before. He frowned and nearly mumbled, "I can't help feeling that this is kind of my fault."

Captain Walker gave him a look that pressed him to continue talking.

"After Ryder, I'm supposed to be the leader of our pack. I'm supposed to be the one all the pups can count on to keep them safe and out of trouble. I'm not the kind of pup who would miss a detail or be careless about stuff, but… with all the commotion and loading the van, and making sure we got home before the storm hit… I honestly thought one of her sisters would walk with her. I didn't think to look back and check… And then, Marshall, of course, good old Marshall, was the only one who would have everyone else's needs in mind before his own. He stayed behind to help her and we left them. I left them!" Hot tears had collected in Chase's eyes and surprised him when a couple dripped onto the sidewalk by his paws that he was staring at so intensely.

Captain Walker was slightly confused about what Chase had just told him. Why did the girl pup need help? Who exactly had been on the beach with the PAW Patrol? Those questions didn't really matter, however, and what he did know was that this pup had been holding that in all to himself. He was sure he probably hadn't even told their leader, Ryder. He placed his rough hand gently on the German Shephard's back.

Chase couldn't believe he had just revealed all that to a perfect stranger. Why couldn't he help himself? Of course this man was going to believe he was unworthy of being a leader, especially if he was a teary-eyed mess like this.

"Chase," Captain Walker finally said soothingly. When Chase didn't respond, he said it again, "Chase."

"Y-yes, Sir? I-I'm sorry," he said permitting himself one last sniffle. "I didn't mean to do that."

"Do what? You didn't mean to show me how much you care for your friends? I know you may think that I'm some tough Air Force Captain who thinks tears are a sign of weakness or some crazy mumbo jumbo like that; but I have feeling just like any other person. Sure, there are times when I'm working that I have to keep my mind clear and free of any distractions, but that doesn't mean I don't love or appreciate the important people in my life. What do you think I'm doing in Cape Catfish? I've got people here who I miss very much. I thought of them every day I was away. They were what drove me to do my best and get home safely."

Chase sat still quietly listening.

"Another thing is, don't beat yourself up about being the perfect leader you think others want you to be. You're still a growing pup. You're always learning. You need to find the lesson in this and hold it in your heart. If your friends care about you as much as I know you do them, they are not going to reject you. I know you are capable of getting those two pups back, no matter what the Cape Catfish police may think."

"Do you really think so?" Chase asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Absolutely, Sergeant. And, as a matter of fact, I am going to help you out," the Captain said standing up again.

"You are? I mean, thank you, Sir," Chase said turning up the corners of his mouth hopefully.

"Pups? I have some news," Ryder announced from the speaker in Chase's pup tag.

"Go ahead, Ryder," said Skye followed by confirmation from the other pups.

"We've found out that the car that took Amber and Marshall belongs to a man named Mike Tackle. He lives in the Cape Catfish Oceanview Apartments. That's in the Northwest side of town. So, I'm gonna ask Zuma and Rocky to start heading over there. It's a tall coral colored building of about ten floors with an attached parking garage. It's pretty close to that school that we landed the Air Patroller in last night. I and the rest of the pups will meet you over there soon."

"Copy, Ryder," Zuma and Rocky declared.

"Any luck getting the police to help us out, Ryder?" asked Chase.

"Not exactly. Unfortunately, there are no men available to spare. Looks like we're on our own pups. But don't forget. No job is too big; no pup is too small!" Ryder encouraged.

"Well, actually… I think I found someone who can help us out," Chase declared glancing over at Captain Walker.

"Really? Who's that, Chase?" asked Ryder curiously.

"May I?" asked Captain Walker gesturing to Chase's pup tag. Chase nodded. "Captain Leonas Walker of the United States Air Force at your command, Ryder, Sir."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Captain Walker. Thank you for offering your help. I know I am speaking for the whole team when I say that your concern is much appreciated," said Ryder with gratitude.

"Anything for fellow protectors. And, if I might add, I'm very interested in meeting the rest of your pup-powered team," said Captain Walker with an audibly kind smile.

"I'm sure it'll be very nice to meet you in person too," Ryder returned. "I guess we'll see you at Oceanview."

"See you there," Chase and Captain Walker said together before the call ended.

Chase started to turn to get a running start before activating his glider but then halted. "We've got a fair distance between here and the Northwest side of town."

"Don't worry, Sergeant. I've got my transportation covered. I've got my motorcycle parked right by the beach over there. You're definitely welcome to ride. I wouldn't want you to run all the way there," he answered.

"Actually, I've got my transportation covered too," Chase said opening up wings of his glider. He smiled at the Captain's astonished look. "Don't worry. I'll do my best to not go too fast and keep close. You know better than I do where those apartments are."

"Right…" the bewildered Captain said before patting Chase's helmet with a smile and heading for his bike.

* * *

Marshall hopped out of the car and crinkled his nose at the heavy stench of garbage that lay in the air. He turned and helped Amber step out onto the gravel. She was a bit hesitant to receive his help, but he wasn't sure why.

"Guess we should get to work," Marshall said first glancing at their two escorts and then at the list they had been given.

"What are we supposed to look for, Marshall?" Amber asked surveying the area as best she could.

"First on the list is… 'Large scraps of metal'? That's not very specific."

"Let's just see what we can find," Amber said shuffling toward a promising looking mound of trash.

She and Marshall sifted through the heap pulling out sheets of metal roofing, old baking pans, and even a bent up car door. All the while the two escorts jotted things down in their notebooks.

"Next, we need to find… 'Six car tires'. At least he said what kind of tires he wanted," Marshall said trying to joke around. Amber smiled a bit and then started scanning around for anything that was the color black and smelled like rubber. Marshall wondered why Amber was being so weird. Maybe she just felt nervous about doing well.

The sun was starting to reach its hottest when the pups had reached the fifth out of six items of their list. Amber had been doing better than she thought she would. Most of the things that she found were things she had mostly sniffed out or even listened for. Of course her eyes were the first things she used to scavenge for the objects listed, but after that she relied on her other senses just like Ryder had helped her practice.

"Alright, one last thing," Marshall huffed. The heat was starting to get to them. "We need… a 'Small plastic pool'. Where are we going to find that? I haven't seen one all day."

"Hmmm…" Amber pondered aloud. She walked here and there pay close attention to her surroundings. The stench of the garbage had grown less unbearable as time passed but it still lingered. Amber picked out distinct smells just as she had done before; metal, rubber, wood. She took a couple of steps forward and felt trash beneath her shift a bit accompanied by a kind of popping sound. She lifted her paw up to relieve the tension in that spot. As she expected, there was the _pop._ It sounded like some sort of thick plastic was bending under the weight. "Marshall, I think I found something!"

"Really?" he said scampering over to her. "Let's dig it out!"

The two pups dug quickly through the pile of rotting food and miscellaneous junk, something that had slightly grossed them out a while ago. Amber hoped that she hadn't been misled. She knew it wasn't a good thing to always be concerned with what others thought of her, but she really didn't like looking like a fool in front of anyone, especially if they were a supposed friend. She felt like any little thing she did wrong just added to the view that people had of her of being incapable of doing anything. If someone made a mistake, it was forgivable, but if a blind pup made that same mistake, it made a drastic impression on her overall appearance. At least, that's how Amber saw it.

Finally, the pups reached something wide and made of plastic. "I think this is it!" exclaimed Marshall. "C'mon let's clear some more of the stuff on this side."

Eventually, they uncovered their target, and indeed, it was a small round kiddie pool. Amber was ecstatic. "We found it!"

Amber gave a little jump and landed on top of a loose piece of surfboard. She felt it sliding and tried to balance herself again, but the board took her with it down the large pile on which they had been standing. Amber yelled and closed her eyes. The board bounced and swerved taking Amber past broken furniture and rusty car parts until finally it sent her through a shattered window that had jagged shards of glass all around the frame, like a mouth full of shark teeth. Luckily she was only cut across her left front leg.

"Amber, are you okay?" Marshall asked running up to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said checking herself for any other scratches. _Ow, that stings. Great. Leave it to me to find some way to mess up,_ she scolded herself interiorly.

"Ouch, that cut looks bad. We've got to get that patched up right away," Marshall said inspecting her leg. "I wish I had my first aid stuff with me."

The pups walked over to the two escorts after picking up the kiddie pool and dragging it over. Marshall insisted to do most of the dragging.

"Um… would you happen to have a first aid kit with you?" asked Marshall timidly. The two men had barely said a word to the pups since they met at the CCCPP building.

"Sure, pup. I'll get it out of the trunk," one of them said almost emotionless. He went to the car and came back holding a small red box. "Here you go. Just so you know, we're not supposed to help you."

"Um… that's fine. This is kind of my specialty," Marshall said with a half-smile. These guys were under pretty strict orders. He opened the kit and got out what he needed. "This might sting a little."

"It's fine. I'm starting to get used to it," Amber sighed.

"Tell me about it," Marshall laughed. "This stuff happens to me so often; I just joke about it all the time. It's kind of how I deal with it, I guess. Laughing it off makes me feel less embarrassed."

"Yeah, I guess it does feel better when you can make others laugh with you rather than at you," Amber concluded. Marshall had already cleaned the cut and was adding pressure to it to stop the bleeding. The two escorts were scribbling away in their notebooks again. Amber could tell because they were holding up brown rectangular things and she could hear their pens scratching away. She felt that cold sting of shame in her stomach. For sure they were writing about how unfit she was to be on the team, which meant she was definitely going to lose her chance at escaping. But, she was more concerned that Marshall made it out. Hopefully they were taking note of what an expert medical pup he was.

Although the escorts said they were forbidden to help the pups, they assisted in loading the supplies into the trunk of the car before heading back to the base. The car ride back was deafeningly quiet. The only recompense was that the pups were allowed to look out the heavily tinted windows. Marshall strained his eyes searching for any sign of Ryder or the pups, but they had taken a thickly forested route, apparently one that not many people used. Marshall only saw two cars and one house the whole rode back.

When they arrived back at the secret pup training facility, they entered through a backdoor instead of through the lobby. A man and a woman met them there and exchanged some words with the escorts. The materials they had found were taken into the darkness on the other side of the door. Their escorts then told Marshall and Amber to go in next. They walked through and the door shut behind them leaving them in just a faint blue glow from a lightbulb hanging in the middle of the high ceiling.

Amber gave a small nervous gasp when she realized she was no longer able to find her own way. Marshall taken a few steps ahead but then went back to get Amber. "I'm right here. Come on, just stick right next to me."

Amber complied quietly careful to stay right by Marshall's side. The room smelled musty, like old cardboard boxes. It looked to be a storage room of sorts. Shelves lined the perimeter with semi-organized piles of crates and bins formed rows upon rows across the room. They finally reached another door hidden in the back. Thankfully, they entered a hall with much more light, surely one of the more remodeled portions of the building. Marshall and Amber's eyes darted around as doors to small offices passed them by. The walls were white and blank. As they reached the end of the hall where there was a sharp turn to the left, something caught the pups' attention, barking. The escorts who had been with them all morning stopped in front of a blue painted door that stood right before the turn in the hall. They unlocked it with a key and ushered the pups inside. This time they didn't follow the pups in. Instead, they closed the door and locked it. The pups could barely here them walk away over all the barking and talking. After the initial shock of being left behind a locked door, the pups spun around to see they were not alone. The room they were in was filled with over fifty pups. Then slowly, the noise simmered down as, one by one, the pups noticed the newcomers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi Everyone!**

 **Props to Star Holder Commander for the pup Sara-Lyn and to Del Pup for the pups Phil and Dave. If you've got a good idea for a pup or two, and really want them to make an appearance, just PM me with a description. I can't promise that I will be able to add all of them if I get too many, but I'll try. The appearances will most likely be small as I plan on ending the search within the next couple of chapters and will only be developing more upon the new pups who have come in thus far. I would please ask that you also send me a review if you would like me to consider your OC. Thank you! I just want to know what you think! :) Enjoy!**

 **Yours,**

 **Kristelrose**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Distance**

"Hi there, pups," a black Labrador pup said stepping forward from the crowd of beholders. "How was your first day?"

"Um… it was… interesting," Marshall answered unsure how to act around the pups in training. What did they know? What didn't they know?

"That's, uh, good, I guess," the Lab pup said tilting his head. Continuing in his smooth, friendly manner, he looked at Marshall and said, "Don't look so scared, Spots. We're all friends here."

"Yeah, until your rank changes," muttered a Boxer pup from within the crowd.

"Rank? What is he talking about?" Marshall asked growing nervous about how things ran around here.

"Oh, it's not as big of a deal as Treader's making it sound. I'm Triton by the way. Anyway, to explain ranks the simple way, depending on how well you're doing with training, you can move up or down a level. Our levels are represented by the color of bandana we are given. The higher the level, the closer you are to making the team. If you stay at the lowest level for more than three days, you're out of training," Triton explained.

"So what level are we at?" asked Amber quietly.

"Well, Mousey, you guys haven't been given a level yet. Neither have a couple of other pups. You're probably just coming back from your first mission, right? Well, later on, before lunch I'm guessing, the boss will come in and hand out your bandanas. The colors go, from lowest to highest level: Purple, Green, Red, and then Blue."

Marshall noticed that Triton was one of the few pups who were wearing a bright blue cloth around their neck. "So, do the pups who don't make it through training get to go back home?" he asked while observing all the purple in the room.

"Well… we actually don't know what happens to them. They won't tell us, and we never get to hear from those pups again. There's only been a few who have been taken out of training, though," Triton said trying to smile optimistically.

"Yeah, but It's only been a couple of weeks, Triton. And, you know as well as we all do, only eight pups make it to the end," another black Lab pup said stepping up next to Triton. She looked very similar to him only more slender in frame. Marshall assumed her to be his sister. She wore a green bandana.

"Misty," Triton said softly, "I already told you. If we just work hard enough, we can all make it to blue. And, hopefully, they put all of us on the team."

"But, what if we don't want to be part of the team? What if we just want to go back home?" Misty asked starting to choke up.

"Yeah," agreed a few other pups.

"I was doing exactly what I wanted to do. Taking care of and loving a family who loved me back. I don't want to be here anymore," a large Saint Bernard pup complained. This started an uproar in the previously silent room. Another pup in blue had to give a loud bark to calm everyone down.

"Listen, we are a part of something great here. We are not only going to be protecting the people we used to call our family. We are going to be protecting the whole city," said the German Shepherd pup that had barked. Marshall couldn't help be reminded of Chase.

"Jay is right," Triton said now facing the crowd with Marshall and Amber at his back. "Plus, remember where most of us were found, lost on the streets. Our 'families' weren't the ones to find us, these people were. For all we know, they weren't even looking for us. They didn't care about us as much as we thought they did."

These words sent a heavy silence over the room. Even Amber, who couldn't see the solemn faces that surrounded her, could feel it. Gradually, the pups scattered returning to what they had been doing before Marshall and Amber arrived. Triton and Jay turned back to the two pups that were still standing by the door.

"We never got your names," Jay recalled looking inquisitively at them.

"Oh, I'm Marshall and this is Amber," Marshall said with a friendly smile. On the inside, however, he was growing concerned for all these pups. Their families didn't forget about them. They were looking for them. They had never stopped looking for them, but the pups didn't know that. All they knew were the lies that the boss had told them. And, for what? So that he could test them out like shoes. And if they didn't fit right, he would just get rid of them. And, he was sure, they weren't going back home. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't be returned. They would reveal everything that had happened to them, uncovering everything that the boss was trying so hard to keep hidden.

"Very nice to meet you Amber and Marshall. Welcome to training!" Triton said cheerfully snapping Marshall out of his thoughts. "Come on, we can show you around and introduce you to some of the other pups before it's time for lunch."

Amber stayed one step behind Marshall as they were led around the large room. It looked like it used to be a large classroom or recreation room. The floor was carpeted in a deep green and there were cabinets above and below wide countertop along the back wall of the room with labels designating what went inside. One row of high windows lined the top of one wall allowing for just a small steam of light to creep its way into the room. Under the windows and along the opposite wall, was a line of plain gray pup beds with sturdy metal rings screwed to the wall above each bed. The rest of the room was cleared up for free space. There were toys strewn about amongst the many clusters of color coded pups.

Amber merely looked around and made guesses at what she was looking at. For, although the overhead florescent lighting brightened up the room in a way the fading strip of sunlight could not, it was all just so blurry for her. A couple of times, she almost slipped on a stray toy, but luckily, Marshall was close enough to catch her fall.

"…and this is Dave and Phil," Triton declared stopping next to a couple of red clad pups. The whole time that they had been touring the room, Triton had not stopped talking.

"Hello," Dave said with an enthusiastic smile.

"Yeah, nice to meet you," added Phil standing proud and strong.

"Would you guys like to play tug-of-toy with us?" Dave asked. His floppy Bloodhound ears swayed as he spoke.

"Dave, they just got here. They still have to get to know the other pups and learn how everything works around here. Right, Jay?" The Rottweiler pup asked maturely.

"Well, that is true, but it's nearly ranking time for the new pups, and after that is lunch time. We'll continue the tour later," Jay said casually. And, just as he said those words, a bell rang throughout the room announcing the next activity in their schedule and prompting the pups to turn their attention to door.

* * *

Gemma peeked through the curtain at the car that had just pulled up in the driveway. It was her turn. If she was a cat, she would dg her claws into the soft cushions of the couch on which she stood, on the one she wasn't allowed to be.

"Gemma?" called her mother from the other room. Gemma sprang from her position onto the floor. She really did not want to go. She wanted to wait for Amber here. It felt wrong to return to her family as if nothing ever happened while her sister was missing, again. It wasn't fair.

"I'm coming," she moaned quietly. Pearl and Goldie had already been picked up, unwillingly of course. Deep down, Gemma knew that going home was the same as staying here. She couldn't do much at all to help Amber anyway. It just felt more right for her to stay around her mother and sisters so they could comfort each other and wait to see their Amber return. But, her two other sisters were already gone and her mother was soon to leave as well. Gemma would go, but she wasn't going to like it.

Gemma put on her sourest face as she sat on the front doorstep while she waited for her recently new family to step out of the car. The first to demount was a small blonde, pigtailed girl of about five years. She ran toward Gemma with open arms.

"Gemma!" she squealed. Once Gemma was in her embrace, her expression softened a bit. She couldn't be mad at Chloe for what happened. It wasn't her fault. With her head low, Gemma was put into the car. Every step she took away from her old house pulled at her heart. From within Chloe's arms, Gemma looked out the window and saw Mr. Sabello and Chloe's parents exchange a few words. Gemma could imagine they were about Amber by the sympathetic looks the couple was giving Mr. Sabello and her mother. With everything said and done, the young man and woman got into the car and drove away.

"Don't be said, puppy," Chloe said with that adorable voice Gemma couldn't resist. "We bought some more of your favorite treats!"

Gemma smiled at her innocence. Chloe had no clue why she was sad. Gemma took a deep breath and gave Chloe a loving lick on the cheek. At that moment, Gemma resolved to put on a happy face. She reminded herself that, if there was any news at all, Ryder would make sure to tell her and her family.

* * *

Rocky and Zuma weren't having any luck spotting Amber and Marshall. It was worse than when Marshall had run away a while ago. So, when Ryder told them about the lead they had gotten, they zipped as fast as they could through the city in search for that coral painted building. Eventually, after asking for directions and looking at maps, the two pups reached their destinations within seconds of each other. While they waited for the other, they tried to sniff out any trace of their lost friends. Zuma thought he caught a scent, but wasn't too sure. Chase's nose would have really come in handy. Only a few minutes later, the roaring sound of a motorcycle rumbled up the street combined with a familiar howl.

"Chase?" the pups asked in surprise. They faced the origin of the sounds and saw Chase approaching on his glider and a man in a dark green jacket on the motorcycle zooming up right under him.

"Looks like we made it here in good time, Sergeant," said the man removing his helmet to reveal his fair skinned face and dark hair. He turned to Zuma and Rocky. "And, these two pups in uniform must be the other members of your team?"

"Yeah," Chase said landing between them. "The pup in orange is Zuma our water rescue pup, and the one in green is our recycling pup and fix-it pup."

"Ah, so your team doesn't just have police… pups. Very nice to meet you Rocky and Zuma," Captain Walker said with a casual salute.

"Vewry nice to meet you… uh. I'm sowry. Who awre you again?" Zuma said scratching his head.

"Oh, this is Captain Leonas Walker. He's in the Air Force!" Chase proclaimed.

"Cool," Rocky said with wide enthusiastic eyes.

"He's going to help us look for Marshall and Amber," Chase said with a wide smile.

"I'll try my best," the Captain said looking up at the bright apartment building. Unexpectedly, something steaked across his field of vision, almost too fast to see.

"Woo-hoo!" came an energetic holler as the carnation colored comet returned to land amongst the gathered pups.

"Skye!" all three pups shouted as the peppy pink pup powered down her supersonic jets.

"Wow, Chase, your team is really something," Captain Walker said in awe with Skye's aerial prowess.

"Skye, this is Captain Walker. You two have a bit in common," Chase said calling Skye's attention to the winged pin the captain wore on his jacket. "Skye is our aviation pup. She's the best pilot we have aside from Ryder's Robo-Dog."

"Aw, thanks Chase," Skye giggled.

Just then, the pups heard the familiar sound of the Air Patroller overhead. After landing on the roof of the apartment building, Ryder, Blizzard, Everest, and Rubble climbed out and waved down below.

"Is that the rest of your team?" asked Captain Walker with his eyes glued to the now descending quartet. Ryder was using his jet pack to lower Blizzard and himself, while Everest rode on Rubbles hover board, quite a feat.

"Yup," Chase said nodding his head proudly.

"It's great to see everyone made it here okay," Ryder said when he finally reached the ground.

"Did you pup's find anything?" Blizzard asked anxiously.

"Not yet," Rocky frowned.

"Oh hey! Is this the guy, Chase?" Blizzard asked galloping over to Captain Walker whom he finally noticed.

"That I am, little pup," the captain laughed. "I have never seen such a pumped up pup. You're like a travel size flurry of snow."

"Well, my name is Blizzard," the curly white pup blurted. Everyone giggled at that. "Oh, and that's Everest the PAW Patrol's snow rescue pup and Rubble the construction pup. I'm not anything. Well, that's not what I mean. I'm just not part of the team, but I'm helping out."

"I see. And, you must be Ryder," the captain said extending his hand to the spiky-haired boy.

"Yes, Sir," responded Ryder shaking the man's hand. "Nice to meet you, Captain Walker."

"Same here. You have a pretty great thing goin' here. I wish we could talk more about it, but right now we've got pupnappees to find."

"Definitely," agreed Ryder. "Chase?"

"On it, Ryder, Sir," Chase announce getting right to work. He sniffed the air and then took to the sidewalk. Amongst the many smells that had accumulated after the rainstorm, Chase found it! He picked up the faint smell of that car, the very same car that had driven off with his friends from the beach parking lot! It was strongest near the exit of the parking garage and the trail turned east, down the road.

"I think I found it, Ryder. I think I found the scent of the pupnappers' car!" Chase exclaimed spinning excitedly in a small circle.

"Great work!" congratulated Ryder. "Now we just need to follow it."

"If I might suggest something," the Captain politely interrupted. "Chase has an amazing nose and could no doubt follow that trail right to that car; but we'd probably have to stop traffic for Chase to track the scent and that car most likely traveled far, far enough that following its trail would take quite a bit of time."

"Well," Ryder said rubbing his chin, "we do know what it looks like. We could send Chase's spy drone out to look for it."

"Spy drone?" asked Captain Walker inquisitively.

"I'm the team's superspy sometimes," Chase explained.

"Right," Walker said beginning to wonder why he was surprised. "May I see this drone of yours?"

"Sure," Ryder said calling it down from the Air Patroller. "I had it set to find Marshall and Amber, but-"

"-this city is very big," completed Captain Walker turning the small drone around in his hands. "This is a very nice piece of equipment. However, what we need is something that'll cover a wide area in a short amount of time."

Captain Walker pulled out his phone and began to dial. "What are you doing?" Blizzard couldn't help asking.

"Calling a friend," he answered with a brilliant emerald gleam in his eye.

* * *

Gasps escaped from several parts of the room. In through the painted door walked the intimidating figure of the boss himself.

"The boss doesn't usually come to new pups rankings," whispered Dave in response to Amber and Marshall's confused looks. After a few muttered words here and there, the room fell dead silent.

"Good morning, pups," the fierce man said enthusiastically. "I know you are wondering what I'm doing here. Well, let me answer that question right away. Among our newest recruits, one pup has automatically reached a level three ranking upon the completion of this morning's mission."

Cheers and questioning looks spread in a wave across the room.

"Now, before I go on to announce who the valiant pup is, why don't we get a little more organized and have the unranked pups come to the front of the room," he said clapping his hands. "Chop, chop."

In two shakes of a tail, all the pups in the room lined up in neat rows starting in the back along the stretch of cabinets. Marshall led a trembling Amber to the front of the room to stand by a few other pups.

"That's what I like to see," the boss smirked. "Let's get on with it then, shall we? For showing excellent scavenging skills, teamwork, leadership, and medical assistance… Marshall has earned his red bandana!"

Marshall heard his name being chanted from behind and several howls of praise. If everything that was going on at this place weren't so wrong, Marshall would have felt honored to receive such an award. But, it was not that way. The bandana was tied around Marshall's neck, and then he was turned around for all the pups to see. The cheers grew louder.

"Next, we have… Amber receiving the level two ranking on account of her outstanding locating techniques." The boss performed the same actions with Amber that he did with Marshall using a green bandana this time. Amber could not stop shaking. She was expecting her bandana to have been purple. That is, if she was even going to be given one at all. She and Marshall shared a look that asked, "What can we do?"

"And," the boss continued, "finally we have our level one pups; Sara-Lyn, Paisley, and Pascal."

A Labradoodle with curly golden fur and two Border Collies stepped forward and received their bandanas. There was one final eruption of cheers as all five dogs faced their fellow trainees.

"Alright, everyone, settle down," said the boss clapping to get all the pups attention. "Before I go, I'd like to congratulate you five again for making it into training. I expect great things from you, especially you, Marshall. Oh, and don't forget, tonight, after dinner, will be another re-ranking."

Leaving the pups to wonder who would be moving up or down, the boss left the room. Shortly after his departure, the bell rang again telling the pups it was time for lunch. Someone came to open the door and lead the pups to another large room down a short leg of the hallway. Marshall recognized him to be Mike, the one who had helped pupnap them and brought them in that morning. As they all filed into the cafeteria, Mike spotted Marshall looking at him and gave a friendly wave. He then gave Marshall a concerned look gesturing to Amber's wrapped up leg. Marshall was confused at first, but then understood and replied to Mike with a nod that meant she was going to be okay. Marshall assumed that, just like most of the pups here and probably many of those who worked with the boss, Mike was a good person who unknowingly had gotten mixed up in the boss's twisted scheme thinking he was being a part of something legitimately helpful to the city.

The pups' bowls were already set out atop five rows of short bench like planks of wood. Each row fit ten pairs of bowls, five on one side and five on the other. Most of the bowls already had pups sitting in front of them. Marshall nudged Amber to follow him to a few open spots near the back corner of the room. When the pups at that "table" saw the two of them coming, they excitedly waved them on. They seemed very eager to have them sit there.

"Hey Spots!" Triton greeted. "Why don't you two come park it over here? We've plenty of room."

A couple of the pups nodded in agreement. Among them were Sara-Lyn dawning a very animated smile and Triton's bubbly sister Misty. Amber sat by the corner of the table in front of Triton and Marshall sat next to her across from Jay who was wagging his beaver-like tail happily. Sara-Lyn glanced around at the chatting pups around the room her smile turning into a puzzled frown.

"Why has no one started eating yet?" she asked.

"We can't start until they tell us to," answered Jay simply. "We have to wait for all the pups to take a seat. Then, they'll give us the command and we can eat."

Marshall noticed about whom Jay was talking. Stationed at a table near the door were a couple of women. They were wearing the same blue polo and khaki shorts that all the other employs wore; Mike, Ben, the two escorts from this morning. Then he saw one of them stand up and approach the front center of the room. Every pup had found a spot by now.

"Alright pups," she said in a voice loud enough for all to hear. "Break!" That was the magic word. Instantly the room filled with the sound of kibble being crunched and pushed around in stainless steel bowls. Marshall just stared at small pile of dry food in his bowl. He really didn't feel like eating.

"What's wrong, Spots? Don't like your food?" Triton asked in concern.

"Huh? No. I guess I'm not that hungry," he responded with a smile. Amber didn't believe him. They both worked hard that morning and she knew he had to be as hungry as she was.

"Too, bad," Triton said taking another nibble at his food. "We don't get another meal 'til later on tonight; and we've still got quite a few hours of training left in the day."

"It's okay to admit you don't like the food," added Jay. "It's not the best tasting, but Jenny says it's the most nutritious for working pups like us. She's the one who gave us the signal to eat."

"Really, it's not the food," Marshall assured. "I'm just worried I guess."

"'Bout what?" asked Sara-Lyn asked looking up from her half empty bowl.

Marshall looked around cautiously. The two women were still seated at the table, but that Jenny girl was looking straight back at him. He assumed it was because he wasn't eating. He bent his head down and picked up a few kibbles in his mouth. He looked back up and smiled at her. She smiled back and looked at another spot in the room. Marshall gave a relieved sigh. "Do you guys really think your families aren't still looking for you?"

"Aw, is that what you're thinking about, Spots?" Triton said in a gentle tone. "Listen, I don't know how you ended up separated from your family, but I am sure that you are in a better place now."

Marshall fervently disagreed, but that wasn't the biggest thing on his mind. His goal had gone from freeing Amber and himself to finding a way to free all these pups too. And, it looked like some of them were going to be stubborn to convince. Marshall had so many things he wanted to say, but not while Jenny and that other women were observing them. Plus, he just remembered about that tracking device on his leg. That was another challenge he had to figure out. Instead, he changed the subject. "So, how was your first mission," he asked Sara-Lyn.

"It was okay," she said answered taking another gulp of food. "I had to practice driving some kind of pup sized truck. It was kind of hard at first, but I got it after running over a few cones."

Everyone at the table laughed at that. "That's interesting," Marshall said wondering how similar that rig was to the ones Ryder built. How much did he know about the PAW Patrol?

"Yeah, guess so. How about you? What was your first mission like? Looks like you did pretty well," Sara-Lyn said calling attention to Marshall's red bandana. "I think red is a good color on you."

"You have no idea," he said under his breath. "I guess it was good. Amber and I had to go to the junk yard and pick up some stuff."

"Is that how you got hurt, Amber?" Sara-Lyn asked tilting her head in Amber's direction.

"Oh, yeah," she answered shyly. "I got cut with some glass and Marshall had to bandage me up… again."

"Again? Do you guys know each other from before coming here?" Sara-Lyn asked.

"Yeah," the two said together and followed by giggling.

"Do tell," Sara-Lyn urged in a mockingly sophisticated voice.

"Well, I met Amber on a mission with the PAW Patrol-" Marshall explained casually.

"The PAW Patrol? You mean like 'The' PAW Patrol? I haven't heard too much about them, but they are pretty cool; and that pup Stella says they were the inspiration for all of this!" Misty squealed wagging her tail excitedly.

"No wonder you made it to level three on your first mission," Jay concluded. "What happened? Were you kicked off the team or something?"

Marshall really didn't want to start again with this topic, but his big mouth slipped up and now he had to say something. However, Amber spoke up before he could.

"That was actually on me again," she started so quietly that only the pups nearby could here. "The PAW Patrol was bringing me back to visit my family after they had rescued me the first time. We were at the beach, but… well… I can't see that well, so Marshall was coming back to help me get to the van that was going to take us back. They didn't notice we weren't aboard and drove off. They were on their way back to get us when all of a sudden we were taken away by two guys named Mike and Trevor." Everyone gasped and Amber felt a pit form in her stomach.

"But, Mike is such a nice guy," protested Jay.

"So this was really an accident, you guys being here?" Triton questioned in concern.

"And the PAW Patrol is probably looking for you right now?" wondered Sara-Lyn. "We've got to let someone know!"

"No!" Marshall and Amber exclaimed simultaneously. But, before they could explain, Jenny walked over looking troubled.

"Is everything alright?" she asked when she finally reached the pups. "You know it's fine if you pups want to talk, but it's best to save your outside voices for recess."

"We understand," Triton assured her. He could tell by the looks on Marshall and Amber's face that this conversation needed to be discontinued for the moment. "It won't happen again."

"Now, those are my good pups. Please finish up. We don't want any food wasted. Lunch is almost over." She gave Marshall a pleading look. His bowl was pretty much the same as when lunch started.

"Yes, Ma'am," Marshall said in response.

"Good," she gave everyone a cheerful smile before walking away, her blonde ponytail whipping behind her. The rest of lunch passed without any mention of what they had been talking. The pups solely focused on their food and water anxious for the moment they could go somewhere less monitored. The minutes passed too slowly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: On the Chase**

In his office, Vincent Caper adjusted his cap in the reflection of the window. There was a knock on the door. He swiveled around to face it and said, "Come in. It had better be quick, though. I'm almost heading out."

"A man in a police officer's uniform walked in holding a clipboard. "It's alright, Sir. I was just about to head over to the station myself. I have some good news. As of tonight, after the re-ranking, we will have enough pups at level three to commence in-field missions."

"That is great news. I'll be sure to have Tracy inform everyone at the staff meeting," Caper said obviously very excited yet professional at the same time. "Wait until Cape Catfish gets a load of our pups in action!"

"Are we really going to put our project out in the open, just like that?" the lower ranked officer queried in concerned.

"Well, not all at once, of course," Caper explained. "Come on. I'll tell you my plan on our way to the station."

The two men exited the office and walked out of the building and into their respective vehicles.

* * *

"Felix?" Captain Walker asked when his phone stopped ringing. The pups and Ryder looked on with curiosity.

"Leonas? How are you doing, buddy? To what do I owe this surprise?" a man's voice asked ecstatically from the other side the Captain's phone. He sounded to be around the same age as Walker.

"Well, first, how have you been? I know it's been a while since the last time I've been home," Captain Walker said with a smile. This Felix seemed to be a very close friend of his.

"Pretty good. I'm still working in the same place, you know." Felix answered.

"That's great! Listen, Felix. I am actually calling because I need your help with a mission," Walker said becoming more serious.

"Like an actual mission? I thought you said you were home," Felix asked slightly confused.

"It's a different kind of mission, Felix. We're trying to find a couple of… well… pups," walker said realizing how trivial his request sounded.

"You need my help to find some dogs? Isn't that something the police or the dog catcher can take care of, man?" Felix responded sounding very confused this time.

"It's a story I don't really have time to tell you right now. I'm also kind of suspicious of the police at this point, but I'll tell you all about it later, I promise." Walker said.

"Alright, I'll help you. But, you had better keep your promise. And, I expect you to pay me back soon with a visit and… pizza from that fancy place downtown," Felix with a smirk.

"Sure, whatever you want," Walker said rolling his eyes.

"Okay, so, what do you need me to do?" asked Felix preparing himself for Walker's request.

"I'd like for you to allow my friend's tablet to access your most advanced map of Cape Catfish," he said eying Ryder's pup pad. He gave Ryder a look to ask if it was okay. Ryder gave him permission with a nod.

"Alright, I'm just going to need some information about the tablet," Felix instructed. Ryder handed his pup pad over to Walker and he and Felix began relaying information back and forth about certain numbers and codes. After five minutes or so, Felix confirmed the successful transfer of the map.

"The map is up and runnin'! Good work Felix," congratulated Captain Walker. "Now, how accurate would this be for tracking a car or something like that?"

"Well, pretty accurate, I would say. As long as you have the license plate number, you'll be able to find that baby within a couple of seconds. It's so thorough, you can basically track moving thing if you have the right information. It even has face recognition technology," Felix said becoming very excited about the profundity of this technology's capabilities. "Why?"

"Awesome! That's all I need to know. Thanks again, Felix. I'll talk to you soon," Captain Walker hung up the phone before Felix had a chance to object to his lack of response. "Alright, let's get right to work. I'd like for Chase, Zuma, and I to stay around here. We'll scope out the building for any more clues about the pups' whereabouts. Although it looks like the pupnappers are gone, the pups could still be inside the building. Ryder, I trust you with use of the map to search for that car. Don't let that tablet fall into anyone else's hands. That would be very dangerous. Also, when you've pinned the car's location, I would like for you to send out Skye as your scout. Rubble and Rocky will be deployed if you pick up any signs of the pups. From what Felix said, it sounds like you can put in a description of your pups and it can find them for you if they are anywhere out in the open. If you find anything, anything at all, you report back to me. Everest and Blizzard, being that you can't mobilize as fast as the others, you are to stay by Ryder. I know you are a couple of strong pups and if Ryder gets into any trouble, you'll be able to put the ice on whoever's causing it. Am I understood, soldiers?"

The pups were surprised at how Captain Walker took initiative like that. He knew exactly what pups were the best for which jobs after only just meeting them. Chase responded first. "Yes, Sir!"

"Yes, Sir," followed everyone else.

"That's what I like to hear!" He laughed.

"Alright! PAW Patrol is on a roll!" Ryder announced feeling the most hopeful that he had felt all day.

While Ryder and the others jetpacked it back up to the Air Patroller and took off, Captain Walker, Zuma, and Chase walked into the apartment building's first floor lobby. Inside, they approached the front desk. When he flashed his military badge to the young woman who was sitting there, she became alarmed.

"W-what can I do for you today, Sir?" she asked he voice quaking a bit.

"No need to panic, Ma'am. I'm Captain Walker. I'm looking for a man who may have been involved in a pupnapping," he said smoothly.

"A pupnapping? As in kidnapping but with pups?" she asked thrown back by the concern an Air Force Captain was giving to such a thing.

"Yes, Ma'am. Believe me. It's quite urgent. If you don't mind, could you please tell me in which apartment I can find Mike Tackle?" He asked in a professional tone.

"Mike, oh, yes, of course," she nervously punched keys on her keyboard. "He lives in apartment 524. That would be on the fifth floor."

"Thank you very much Miss," Mike said with a quick salute and a charming smile. "Come on pups."

"You're welcome," she said with a smile of her own watching them briskly walk to the elevator. "Good luck."

In the elevator, Chase's ears and nose perked up. "Yup, Amber and Marshall have been in here." The doors opened to the fifth floor and Chase sniffed the air and carpet. "Here too."

Chase and Zuma sniffed their way all the way to the end of the hall stopping in front of room 524.

"This is it! This is the wroom!" exclaimed Zuma jumping up and down.

"Let's see if anyone's home," suggested Captain Walker. He knocked on the door. "Mike Tackle, this is Captain Walker of the United States Military. I just want to ask you some questions." There was no answer. "Open up Mike," he said in a calm yet authoritative voice. After knocking again, he announced, "If you don't let me in Mr. Tackle, I'm going to let myself in."

After about a half minute of waiting, Captain Walker pulled something out of his pocket that he used to pick at the lock. There was a _click_ and the door opened wide. Inside, all the lights were off. Walker and the pups walked slowly inside. The first things they noticed were a couple of dog bowls in the kitchen along with the scents of Marshall, Amber, and two men, the same two men whom the boots belonged to that Chase had smelled at the beach.

"They were definitely in here earlier today along with Mike and another guy," declared Chase looking around.

"Look, a cage," Zuma said scampering to the cage in the back corner of the main room. "They must have been keeping them in thewre."

Walker took a walk around the place. The apartment was definitely empty. In the study, Walker found a piece of paper on the desk next to the computer reading:

* * *

 **Cape Catfish Canine Protection Program**

Recruitment Guidelines

 _(You must be sure to follow ALL guidelines before recruiting a stray pup)_

1\. Pup must be unaccompanied by a human

2\. Pup must not be tied down or in any form of cage or fenced in area

3\. Pup must be less than two years of age

4\. Pup must be capable of performing tasks that require physical and mental strength

5\. Multiple pups may be recruited at one time

6\. You must not let the pup be seen in transit to any location

7\. If a pup escapes after you have recruited it, let the main office know immediately

Each pup recruited will earn you a bountiful cash reward if they are seen fit to enter into training

For more information, contact the program manager

* * *

Walker couldn't believe what he was reading. He searched the paper for an address or phone number, but there were none. "Oh course. This whole thing is suspicious. This isn't a checklist for some recruitment program. It's a civilian's guide on how to perform a proper pupnapping."

"What did you find, Captain Walkewr?" asked Zuma walking in with Chase.

"I think I found out why Marshall and Amber were pupnapped. We just need to figure out where this place is. And, I think we'll also find out where all the city's other missing pups are too, Chase," he said remembering their earlier conversation.

"We have to tell Ryder," Chase demanded. But, before any of them could react, Ryder came in on the pups' pup tags.

"Pups, we've located Mike's car. It's headed down the main street toward the apartment building," Ryder declared. "I think he'll be stopping by home."

"That's great, Ryder. I think the pups and I will handle him. In the meantime, keep searching for the pups and see what you can find out about a Cape Catfish Canine Protection Program," Walker relayed.

"What's that? A program that protects pups?" Ryder inquired.

"Not exactly, but I'm thinking that it has to do with Marshall, Amber, and a lot of the city's missing pups," he said narrowing his eyes in thought.

"Okay, I hope you can figure something out from Mike. Ryder out," he said ending the call.

* * *

All the pups in the training facility shuffled down the hall and through a door to another large room. This one was about three times the size of the cafeteria. Laid out around the room were multiple obstacle courses along with other more playground type equipment. Two one side were large buckets brimming with balls of all sizes and colors. There were things to climb, things to slide down, things to jump on, truly a pup's dream playroom. One thing that was attention catching, besides the amount of it all, was that mostly everything was made out of recycled material, a sight that would have made Rocky proud.

Judging by all the attention it was getting, there was a large structure standing to one side of the room that seemed to be recently built. Marshall noticed that a few of the tires they had collected that morning hung like swings across one length of it. Marshall almost wanted to run over and test it out.

"So this is the indoor training area," explained Triton. Marshall came back to reality and turned his head to look at Triton. "We come here to be tested on our speed and strength and other abilities; but every once in a while, they let us come here for free time."

"Which means, we might have a chance to finish our conversation from lunch," Jay added. "Although we've still got escorts watching us here, this is more of a wild environment than the cafeteria. They won't notice if we hid away for a little while."

"I think I know a perfect place," Misty chimed in. "Follow me."

Everyone who had sat at their table, save the two pups at the end who had been in their own world during lunch, marched behind Misty as she lead them to a boxy structure in the back. Misty looked through several of the window flaps to make sure there weren't any pups playing inside. Just as she was going to give the clear, Phil and Dave came running over.

"Hey guys," Dave greeted wagging his tail excitedly. "Isn't free time the best? It's like one of the most fun things we get to do around here. Well, going on missions is fun too, and mealtime. I guess everything is fun one way or another."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," agreed Misty politely.

"What are you guys playing?" Phil asked curiously.

"Well," Jay started. He thought for a moment trying to think of what he was going to say. "We actually wanted to talk to the new pups about… stuff they need to know."

"Oh, I see. You want us to go get Paisley and Pascal?" asked Dave eager to help.

"No, no, that's fine. W-we're planning on talking to them later," Jay said quickly.

"Oh, okay then. I guess we'll leave you to talk," Phil said starting to turn away.

"Wait," Triton said stopping the two pups mid step. "There is one thing you pups can do for us."

"What is it?" Dave asked with his ears perked.

"We'd like you two to stand watch outside the clubhouse for us. Make sure no one comes in while we're talking... We just have a lot to talk about before free time is over. Can you do that?" he asked hopefully.

"Absolutely! We'll be the best watch pups you've ever had!" Dave said. His ears flopped as he bounced up and down.

"I think we'll be the only watch pups they've ever had," corrected Phil.

"Great! Thanks guys," said Triton gratefully before leading the small group inside. The clubhouse was a three level, carpeted, wooden structure. No doubt, it was one of those play things originally meant for human children. Jay explained in passing that it was one of the first things that were added to the indoor training room. As new things were added, it had become one of the least visited pieces. Jay had apparently been one of the first pups to be initiated into the program, so he knew a lot about the developments that had been made over the month and a half of the program being fully functional.

"And, here we are," Jay announced once they climbed up all the steps to the third level. Unlike the first two levels that had small crawl spaces and separators throughout the floorplan, the topmost level was a clear open room. There were a few windows, but they were covered with flaps of fabric which, in addition to the wooden walls, blocked out much of the ruckus that was going on outside.

The pups took a seat and Triton began the meeting. "So, if you and Amber are really here by mistake, why don't you want to tell anyone about it? They can probably help you get home."

"We were kind of told not to," Amber answered timidly.

"What do you mean?" Sara-Lyn asked.

"You guys are being lied to," said Marshall trying not to sound harsh. "Well, at least sort of. The program that you're training for is meant to do good, but all the pups here weren't being rescued and recruited, they were pupnapped."

"How do you know that?" Jay asked incredulously.

"Because the boss told us," Amber explained. The pups passed around skeptical looks.

"It's true," Marshall backed up Amber. "He tried forming the program with the police department, but they didn't let him for some reason. So, he went behind their back and did it anyway. And, since he wasn't going to get pups through the police, he decided to find them himself. That included stealing pups that already belonged to others and making it look like they had just gone missing."

After chewing it over in her mind a bit, Misty spoke, "Why would he tell you all of this?"

"Because he made it so that I couldn't tell anyone. If I even try to contact Ryder… he said he would make it so that I never see him again. I think he meant he would do to me what he does to the pups that get kicked out of training," Marshall said gulping.

"I thought they would just get to go back home," Misty said brokenheartedly.

"What does happen to them?" asked Sara-Lyn with wide eyes.

"I'm not sure, but I think they're taken somewhere far away from here making it almost impossible for them to find their way home," Jay said, surprising everyone.

"You really believe that, Jay?" Triton asked his friend.

"Well, now that I'm not the only one who thinks so, yeah. Do you remember Stevie?" he asked.

"That little yellow Lab with the bad leg?" Triton asked trying to remember.

"Yeah, that's the one. I was his partner for the last mission he completed. We were all out in the field for the re-ranking that night. I felt so bad for him when they said he had been at level one too long and was being sent home. He really wanted to make the team, but the training was just too hard for him. He didn't mind too much, though, at least he was going to go back home and see his humans again. But, after we cleared the field and were heading inside, I stayed behind to fetch a ball someone had forgotten up in a tree. When I finally got up to it, I saw an escort leading Stevie to his ride out of here. I took a moment to watch them drive away, but before they did, I heard them say something that confused me. The escort was giving directions to the driver, but he kept saying words like 'North' and 'mountain road.' I thought that was weird since right outside our field was the Northern border of the city. If they went anymore North, they wouldn't be in Cape Catfish anymore, and I thought only pups who lived here could participate in the program. And there are definitely no mountains around here either."

Everyone stared blankly as they let all that sink in. "Wow, I can't believe it…" Triton sighed.

"Why would they do that?" Sara-Lyn asked distraught.

"They don't want word getting out about the program since technically it doesn't exist and the boss would get in a lot of trouble with the cops if they found out," Marshall explained.

"Oh man… So what do we do?" asked Triton looking like his world just shattered.

"Well, we've got to… we've got to… "Jay struggled to let the words out of his mouth. Saying what he was thinking, what they all were thinking of saying, would just make it all the more real. Before he could spit the words out, a high pitch coach's whistle was blown.

"We've got to go. We can finish talking later," Triton said quickly. The six pups hurried down the steps and out of the clubhouse only for Marshall and Amber to tumble over Phil and Dave who were sitting like two resolute pup statues at the door.

"Sorry, pups," Marshall said laughing nervously. "Didn't see you there."

"Hey, I'm the blind pup. That's my line," Amber quipped remembering Marshall's advice about jokes easing the embarrassment. As expected everyone laughed, including Amber.

The pups, then, all rushed to line up by the door. It was time for training.


	6. Chapter 6

**It's been a while... I had writers block for a while and then my laptop broke; but I think I've got both of those problems figured out! I have the rest of Book 2 written out in a rough draft, so the next chapters should hopefully be posted more fequently! For now, enjoy Chapter 6! The big climax is coming soon!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Choosing Sides**

After picking up a quick flatbread and smoothie for lunch at Cape Catfish's most popular tropical café, Mike dropped Trevor off at his other part time job at the bank. He then proceeded to make his way home for a quick nap and then off to work at the animal shelter.

There was no doubt that Mike was a real animal lover. His favorite thing about the shelter he worked at was that never once had they ever put an animal down. The team labored tremendously to find these furry friends nice homes and Mike was proud of their success. He was very well the most hardworking of the staff at the shelter, and that did not go unnoticed. Recently, Mike was promoted to Assistant Director; but the rank didn't really matter to him. He felt like he could be doing more. Aside from leading obedience classes for all the dogs at shelter and providing The Cape Catfish Guide Dog School with top contenders for their program, Mike felt like there was something bigger he was meant to do. This is why he agreed to help with the Cape Catfish Canine Protectors Program when it was being covertly started. He saw the good that would come out of it and didn't take more than a second to accept a position.

Now he had even rescued those two adorable pups from being alone in that big storm! Trevor had been following them all day and had called him just in time to rescue them before the rain started. It would have been horrible if those poor pups weren't able to find shelter. Even Trevor had to spend the night in Mike's guest room. Of course the pups were hesitant at first. They didn't know him or Trevor, but Mike felt like they would do just fine in the program once they got used to it.

Mike pulled around to his usual spot on the second floor of the garage. He fumbled around to grab his half-finished lunch and keys and scooted out of his car. On his way up the elevator and down the hall to his apartment, he hummed cheerfully to himself. The surprise that caught him as he entered the door stopped his tune mid bar and nearly made him drop his smoothie cup.

"Mike Tackle?" a stern voice beckoned from across the supposedly empty apartment. Mike's eyes darted around and landed on a sturdy figure walking toward him. "Captain Leonas Walker. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"C-captain," Mike stuttered staring at Walker's uniform, "what's wrong? What c-can I help you with?"

"We wanna know why you pupnapped ouwr fwriends, dude," declared Zuma taking a step forward. Mike glanced down noticing the two pups that stood tall by Captain Walker.

"Who are you?" asked Mike forgetting his fright for a second.

"I'm… Sergeant Chase and this is Water Rescue Pup Zuma of the PAW Patrol. We have reason to believe that you participated in the pupnapping of one of our team members and a golden retriever pup last night at the Cape Catfish Pier," Chase proclaimed with authority.

"A-a pupnapping? I didn't-," Mike began stammering again.

"Why don't we take a seat and try to sort this all out?" Walker said calmly. "We're not here to arrest you. We just want get our pups back."

Mike put his smoothie and sandwich on the kitchen counter and then accompanied Captain Walker on the couch while Chase and Zuma sat in front of the two men on the floor. Mike wrung his hands nervously and took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. "Alright," he said slowly beginning to feel more at ease, "what would you like to know?"

"What is the Cape Catfish Canine Protection Program?" Walker asked showing Mike the page of guidelines.

"Oh, that's Trevor's paper," Mike looked it over thinking about the possibility that they actually might have conducted a pupnapping. "Well… The CCCPP is a program that was started secretly to train pups to become a special rescue patrol. I have to tell that from the beginnin' I wasn't too fond of that fact, but I thought having the Assistant Sheriff in charge of it all compensated for-"

"Assistant Sheriff?" exclaimed Walker and Chase simultaneously.

"Yeah, there are actually quite a bit of CCPD guys working there, but," he said returning to the sheet of paper, "This is becoming way too suspicious for me. I work at the shelter and have never had as many pups all at once there as we do in the CCCPP. That gets me thinkin' that some of those pups very well may not have actually been strays."

"Is the Assistant Sheriff at the CC-CCC-" Walker struggled with the acronym.

"CCCPP," corrected Mike politely.

"Right, that," Walker said with a sigh.

"I know. The name is a little much for me. Why not something as simple as Pup Protectors or something. It sounds like the name of a program designed to protect pups instead of pups helping protect the city. Anyway, to answer your question, he's not there anymore. He's probably on his way to the police station. I've gotta warn ya though, having all those officers working with him on this and him being the Assistant sheriff and all will make it kind of hard to trap him."

"Right you are… about the name and the Assistant Sheriff. It sounds like we're going to need to catch him in the act," Walker said thoughtfully rubbing his chin.

"Well… If you trust me… I think there is a way," Mike said with a growing brightness in his eyes.

"You seem like a nice guy," Zuma admitted.

"Yeah, we know you understand that what the Assistant Sheriff is doing is wrong," added Chase. "If it means we can rescue our friends and all those other pups, we're open to hear what you have to say."

"Well thanks there little guys," Mike said giving both pups a short ear scratch. "Well, what I was thinkin' was that I could go back tonight and take the night shift. You know, to make sure all the pups are alright and aware of our plan. And, since we only need a handful of staff to be there overnight I can make sure that only the ones that will help us out with this are there. I've already got a list willing volunteers goin' in my head."

"Ovewrnight?" questioned Zuma worriedly.

"Well, yeah. We want you guys to be able to catch Vince. That's his name by the way, Vincent Caper. Anyway, he'll definitely be back tomorrow morning. That would be the perfect time for you and the PAW Patrol to bring the police over," Mike explained.

The two pups seemed slightly disappointed by the plan, but Captain Walker agreed by nodding his head. Zuma looked like he was about to say something when Ryder came in on his and Chase's pup tags. "Good news, everyone!"

"What is it, Ryder?" both pups asked anxiously.

"My pup pad just detected Amber and Marshall! They're in a more abandoned part of town… near the border of the city," described Ryder.

"That's the training facility alright," Mike agreed.

"Ryder, don't send anyone over there," Walker warned. "The man behind all this is the Assistant Sheriff. We don't know what he's capable of if his secret is blown. Fortunately, Mike is on our side now and has a plan. Bring the pups and yourself back over to the apartment and we can explain when you get here."

"But, what about the pups?" Skye's concerned voice questioned through the pup tags.

"I promise that they will be okay. Mike was just about to make some calls to some possible allies back at the facility," Walker assured all the nervous pups and Ryder on the other end.

"Oh yeah," Mike muttered grabbing his phone quickly and scrolling quickly through his list of contacts. He was still a little in awe with what was happening.

"Oh, and, Ryder? Before you head back this way, I'd like you to take some pictures of the place and get information on it using the map Felix gave you. That will come in very handy at the police station," Ryder pointed out.

"Alright…" Ryder said still confused, but willing to trust Walker's judgment. "Ryder, out."

While Ryder and the other pups followed Captain Walker's instructions, Mike called up Trevor, Ben, Jenny, and a few more staff members. Apparently, he and the people he talked to were part of a small group of employees who disagreed with the discretion behind this whole project and who had spoken with each regarding the concerns they had. Thus, after having Mike briefly explain about the pupnapping, the PAW Patrol, Captain Walker, and their plan to free the pups, everyone agreed promptly to join the rescue.

* * *

"So, once one of us hears of some emergency, we call the training center and tell them which pups we want them to deploy?" Vincent's police officer friend asked with a bite of sandwich in his mouth.

"Exactly. You guys will have a list of all the pups and their ranks with you for reference, but I expect you to know what each pup's strengths and weaknesses are. Of course, you'll only be calling out pups that are at a level three or four," detailed Vincent as he twiddled his plastic salad fork around.

"So what if the pup or pups don't do so hot on the mission?" the officer asked raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"They get kicked out," Vince said simply between sips of his drink.

"Really? Just like that?"

"Yeah, we're getting really close now. It's time to start narrowing our numbers. That also means sending pups home after being at level one for a maximum of 24 hours. We've got plenty of suitable pups. Plus, there aren't that many more loose pups running around out there," Vince said gesturing his thumb out the car window. They had opted to eat lunch in Vince's car so that their conversation could stay out of earshot.

"Okay, so when the pups are deployed, they're not going to drive the pup vehicles then, right?" asked the man taking another bite of his sandwich.

"Definitely not yet. We'll have escorts drive them over to the scene of the crime or emergency to keep their motives as hidden as possible," Vince explained.

"Right, right, of course. And, once we know the pups are on their way, that's when we get the police to come in. 'Cause by the time they get there the pups would have done their thing and CCPD can take it from there."

"Now you're getting it. My goal is to have the pups in and out so that the only people who see them are the ones directly tied to the emergency. Soon word will start spreading and the CCPD will hear how amazing dogs are at helping out," Vince said with a smile on his face that showed both excitement for his project and vengeance toward the CCPD, especially the Sheriff who was the strongest advocate against his idea.

"For all our sake, I hope this plan of yours works," said his friend crumpling up the paper wrapper of his now finished sandwich.

"Trust me," Vincent said confidently. "Now, get out of my car. We've only got a few minutes before our shift starts at the station."

The two laughed at Vince's fake aggressive command. The officer stepped and got into his own car as Vincent took off toward the station. Once there, coincidentally, Vince was met with a trio of police heading out to take their shift at the training facility. They exchanged a nonchalant thumbs-up and went their separate ways.

"Nice to see you today, Caper," greeted the Sheriff as Vince was walking past his door.

"You as well, Sheriff," he replied with a forced smile.

"I know you want to get straight to work, but may I borrow you for a second?" asked the Sheriff with a less cheerful tone.

"Of course," Vince said saying the opposite of what he felt. Although he despised the Sheriff for turning us project down, he wanted him to believe that is was a thing of the past. So, he always tried his best to be polite and easygoing with him.

"A young boy came to me today. He said he was the leader of the PAW Patrol. You know, that team you used to talk about all the time from Adventure Bay. Anyway, apparently one of his pups has gone missing-"

"Oh yes, I know exactly who you are talking about. I actually spoke with him last night. I told him I would add his pups to the stations list of missing dogs," Vince said trying to end the conversation quickly.

"Yes, well, he brought up something very important, Vincent. The one pup that is his, is the team's firefighter. That makes him a bit more of a priority than any old pup whose just run away from home," the Sheriff said giving Vince a scolding look.

"I understand, Sir; but, as you know, we have been running short on officers lately. Many have come down with the flu, have sick loved ones to take care of, or are dealing with other personal problems. The boy must have failed to mention that I gave him permission to take on the search himself," Vince said trying to cover for himself and his employees.

"That is true. That's why I allowed him to use your office. I hope that is alright with you. It was the least I could do to help him out," informed the Sheriff.

"Y-you did?" Vincent said taken aback for a moment. "I-I mean sure. That was a perfectly rational thing to do. I don't know why I didn't think of that. He's got the right to do that I-I guess. That was smart thinking. See, that's why you're the Sheriff and I'm your assistant!"

"Yes, well, that's all I wanted to talk to you about. On your way, then," said the Sheriff making a shooing motion with his hand. Honestly, he couldn't tell sometimes why Vince rambled on like that.

"Yeah," Vince said with a quick wave. Once he was out of the Sheriff's sight, he dashed for his office door and unlocked it. _It's okay, Vince. He's only like ten years old. Sure, he's a genius, but he couldn't have gotten much. All the important stuff isn't even on that computer._

While he mentally attempted to calm himself down, he jumped into his desk chair and checked exactly what Ryder had been doing. He released a tense breath when he was relieved to find that Ryder had only used the surveillance system to check some footage by the beach. He tensed up again when he saw that a familiar apartment building had been researched. He knew that someone from his crew lived there. This boy could be smarter than he had originally thought.

"I've got to call, just in case," he decided. He took out his phone and dialed the training facility. Ben picked up.

"Hey, Boss. What's up?" Ben asked youthfully.

"Listen to me Ben. Has anyone suspicious come by? Like the cops or a ten-year-old boy accompanied by pups?" Vince whispered harshly into his phone.

"N-no, Sir," Ben replied trying not to express emotion. He knew exactly who Caper was talking about and wondered why he was asking so urgently.

"Good," Vince sighed. "Alright, Ben, I need you to do something for me. Put the place on lockdown. We're on the verge of being found out, and I cannot have that happen, not now."

"O-okay, Sir," answered Ben nervously. "Does that mean you want me to cancel the staff meeting scheduled between the afternoon and night shifts?"

"Yes, I'll just email everyone the information. Also, as of today, the recruitment stage is complete. I will not accept any more pups. Oh, and one more thing," Vince said tapping his finger on his desk.

"Yes?" requested Ben.

"Lockdown means an increase of staff on the night shift."

"Got it," Ben answered relieved at that decision. This would make it easier for Mike's plan to work. Ben now had authority to choose who would take the shift. He just hoped there were enough people to choose from in the pool of people he knew would help with the rescue.

"I've got a few people I'd like you to add to security," continued Vince. This comment made Ben's stomach clench.

"Who would that be sir?" he asked slowly. Vince rattled off a list of about six employees all of which were also part-time police officers. Ben obediently put them on the schedule.

"Thanks, Ben." Vince hung up the call unknowingly leaving Ben in deep concern. He sat back in his chair pressing the palms of his hands to his temples and sticking his fingers in his hair. "We've got this, Vince. You're not about to be ruined by a ten-year-old nerd."

* * *

Zuma pawed at the soft, cool carpet beneath him while he thought. Last night through a storm and all this morning searching, and when they finally know where Marshall and Amber are, they can't do anything? Who knew what his friends had gone through already? Sure, Mike was supposedly on their side and was, at this moment, giving Captain Walker a full profile on each of the people he had contacted earlier. And, sure, Captain Walker was awesome. He was really intuitive and knew how to make a plan and have it happen within a matter of seconds. It was inspiring, really. But, this was not like one of their usual missions. Zuma was probably the most laid-back, easygoing pup on the team, but it broke his heart that they had to spend a moment longer separated from their friends in need.

"Hey, Zuma. Are you okay?" Chase asked quietly as he watched Zuma continuously bite his lip and release it.

"I'm just thinking about Mawrshall and Ambewr, that's all. What if they'wre in twrouble?" He looked at Chase with his big golden eyes glistening with tears ready to fall.

"I know how you feel," Chase agreed surprising the Lab pup. He thought Chase would try to assure him that everything was under control or something like that. "It's kind of hard when it's not just us and Ryder on the mission. We probably would have snuck in there and gotten them both out as soon as we got their location."

"Yeah," agreed Zuma as quietly as Chase so not to be overheard by the humans on the couch. "But… but I guess… it's okay that we have theiwr help. They seem to know how to handle this Vince dude the wright way…"

"Yeah… Who knows? Maybe if he found out we knew what he was doing, he would just run away and pup nap another city's pups to start all over again," Chase conjectured. Zuma nodded still frowning at the thought of not yet rescued friends.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Mike spouted. This got Chase and Zuma's attention. "How about I take a couple of pups with me tonight? I can pretend that I found them out on the street and am bringing them in for training. Once all of Vince's guys leave, the pups could help us from the inside get ready for the rescue tomorrow!"

"That is not a bad idea," Captain Walker said thoughtfully resting his chin on his hand. Just as he was about to approve of the undercover pup notion, Mike's cellphone buzzed.

"It's Ben," he said unsure why he was calling again. "Hello?"

"Mike? We might have a slight problem," Ben began in a whisper. The lunch hour was over so Ben was doing his best at not letting any passersby hear him.

"What is it Ben?" the worried look on Mike's face alerted Walker and the pups that something was wrong.

"Well, Boss gave me permission to choose who gets to take the night shift," Ben revealed.

"That's great," Mike said switching back to a smile.

"But, he also gave me a list of guys he wants on security. And, unfortunately, they're some of his biggest supporters. They're CCPD too," Ben sounded like his hope was slipping away.

"Oh…" Mike commented reverting back to his original troubled expression. "Don't worry Ben. We can still do this. We'll just have to be a little more careful. Hey, and, I'll be bringing a couple of PAW Patrol pups back with me later. They can-"

"I don't think so, Mike," Ben said cutting him off. "Caper specifically mentioned no more pups. And, the reason he wants more guys on duty tonight is because he wants the whole place on lockdown. He's really suspicious that someone is trying to uncover this place. If his guys weren't going to be on guard tonight, I would have totally let those pups in; but that might just raise his suspicions." By this point, Mike had put the call on speaker so the pups and Walker could hear.

"Hmmm… I suppose you're right. And, I can't just sneak them in. They'll be noticed sooner or later… Thanks for the info, Ben. You're doin' a good thing, helping these pups get out. It'll all turn out fine, you'll see." Mike and Ben exchanged farewells and ended the call.

"We've got the info and pictures. The pups and I are on our way to you, Captain Walker," Ryder's voice suddenly pierced the contemplative silence that was being held.

"Copy, Ryder, Sir," Chase responded. Within a matter of minutes, there came a knock on the door of room 524.

"That's gotta be them," Zuma said wagging his tail.

"I'll get it," Mike said standing up from the couch. He had a grin on his face that resembled that of a child opening a birthday present. "I can't wait to meet the other members of the PAW Patrol!"

In two seconds flat, Mike opened the door, there was a blur or white, and Mike was on the floor with a very viciously cute looking poodle on top of his chest.

"Alright, buddy. Why'd you stop me from saving my best friend in the whole world from your puppy prison?" Blizzard demanded attempting to look ferocious but failing. A pup as cuddly looking him can only work so much of the teeth and claws thing.

"Whoa, little guy! Calm down," Mike said out of breath both from the impact Blizzard gave him and from laughter he was holding back.

"Blizzard, heal," an embarrassed Ryder commanded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to be the way our first meeting went. He's just not happy we had to retreat."

Ryder offered Mike his hand and helped him off the floor. "It's understandable… Ryder, right? I'm Mike. I was just saying how great it is to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. This is Blizzard. He's not mine, but he is really close to Amber and offered to help," Ryder introduced.

"And we can use all the help we can get," Mike said winking at Blizzard with a smile. He hoped Blizzard got the hint that he was one of the good guys and wanted to free the pups as much as Blizzard did.

"These are the rest of the PAW Patrol pups, minus Marshall. There's Rubble, Rocky, Skye, and Everest. And, you've already met Chase and Zuma." Each pup barked as a response to his or her name.

"Wow… We've always heard about the PAW Patrol down at the training center. You're Vince's inspiration. Well, for the 'forming an amazing group of rescue pups' part, not so much the 'lead a secret organization against the will of the Sheriff' part…" Mike said scratching the back of his neck.

"It's an honor… I guess," Ryder said with a half-smile. "But, if you don't mind me jumping straight to the question at hand, what exactly was your plan?"

"Oh, yes. I'll tell you all about it. Come." Mike ushered everyone to the living room where the pups sat in an arch facing Walker, Ryder, and Mike on the couch. "I've told Ben back at the center to only put those people whom can help with the rescue on the night shift. However, while you were on your way over, He called me back saying the boss is suspicious and added a few of his close friends at the CCPD to the list. This makes our little mission a bit harder. Anyway, my idea was that with so many people on our side, the rescue can go more smoothly. I'm not sure how you would like to approach this, though. We've still got to figure out a way to make sure Mr. Vincent Caper stays put until someone brings the cops over."

"Not to mention, make sure his henchmen don't try to pull something big," supplied Captain Walker.

"Right…" Ryder said letting the information sink in. "I think having pups on the inside help is a good idea. And, even though we might not be able to get one of the pups here in with you; we do have a PAW Patrol pup already there who would love to help plan our next move."

"Marshall!" some of the pups shouted in realization.

"That's right," Walker said with a snap of his fingers. "Plus, being there for a day, the pup'll surely know his way around and any useful resources that can help. Am I right in sayin' that, Ryder?"

"Definitely. Marshall may be a goofball sometimes, but he is very observant," Ryder said getting nods from the pups.

"But how will we know what's going on while you and the others are at that training center place?" Rubble asked.

"That's right. If those police officers are going to be there looking for anything suspicious, you can't call Ryder whenever you want," Chase agreed.

"Marshall's pup tag!" Ryder exclaimed with a snap of his finger. He pulled it out along with his collar from where he had it carefully tucked away. "Mike is there anywhere you can keep this hidden but accessible?"

"Well, if it is Marshall's, why not have him wear it?" He suggested.

"But won't people see it, then?" Rocky asked wondering why Mike didn't even think of that.

"No, they won't. You see, all the pups have to wear colored bandanas marking what experience level they are. Marshall was already ranked today so he won't be taking it off anytime between now and tomorrow morning. We can just have him put it under the bandana so you can be able to talk with him without being noticed," Mike said confidently.

"I hope so," growled Blizzard softly through his teeth still trying to seem menacing. Instead of becoming intimidated, Mike gave him a smile and a pat on the head.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Mike gasped suddenly. "I have to tell the shelter I won't be coming in today before the lunch hour is over so they can find a replacement."

"That's right. If you're going to be taking the night shift, you should probably sleep now so that you can be awake later," realized Ryder. "We'll leave you to that. Oh, and, when you call the shelter, do you think you can see if they can have anyone help us tomorrow? We're going to have a lot of pups to deal with."

"Absolutely! And, you and your pups are more than welcome to hang around here if you want. I've got pup food and human food in the kitchen," he said with a chuckle.

"Thanks for the offer," Ryder said laughing as well, "but we've got to make a trip down to Adventure Bay."

"We do?" questioned Rubble. "What about lunch?"

"Don't worry. We can eat on the way," Ryder said without further explanation. He then turned to Captain Walker as he stood up. "You are more than welcome to come. We won't be there very long, but the pups and I would love to show you the Lookout."

"Sounds good to me," he said with a nod.

"Wait! We're going to the Lookout? I'm going to the actual PAW Patrol Lookout? I'm going to the Lookout! Woo-hoo!" Blizzard was so excited, he forgot all about the tough guy act he was putting on to scare Mike. He even jumped on his lap and expressed his excitement over and over again.

Everyone giggled at Blizzards antics. Ryder finally was able to get Blizzard's attention. Mike stood up and after he finished laughing he said, "When you get back feel free to station yourselves here. As you've noticed, it's not too far from the training grounds."

"Thanks! We'll be back in a while," Ryder said appreciatively. He then lead the gang out of the apartment after saying good-bye to Mike. Once everyone was gone, Mike made his call and settled in for a nap. He found it hard to fall asleep. Thoughts of escape plans and tactics swirled around in his mind. Eventually, his thoughts lagged as he became more and more drowsy until finally he fell asleep.


	7. A Break in the Silence

Hello my beautiful, beautiful readers. If you are reading this, you are amazing! You have stuck by me all this time without wavering! I have no way to apologize to you the way you deserve, but just know that I never intended to leave you hanging like that for SUCH A LONG TIME! I am sorry.

So many things have happened in my life, but I won't bore you with that. I will tell you what you DO want to hear, though. This trilogy will be completed! I don't promise I will be able to post frequently, but I will post consistently and I hope you enjoy what I have in store!

Thanks again for being the amazing readers that you are and being loyal to me. I hope to see you real soon.

J Kristelrose


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